Unconditional

This faith-based drama stars two top performers who give its fact-based story the sweetness and spirit that is sometimes lacking in the heartfelt but uneven script.

Lynn Collins (“The Merchant of Venice,” “John Carter”) plays author Samantha Crawford, who is devastated by the shocking death of her husband, killed in an unsolved shooting.  Feeling that she has no reason to live, she resolves to kill herself on the spot where he was murdered.  Just as she is about to pull the trigger, she sees a young girl hit by a car.  She runs over to help her, and at the hospital she runs into a close friend from her childhood she had not seen in years, Joe Bradford (Michael Ealy of “Barbershop” and “Think Like a Man”).  They are very happy to be reunited and Samantha learns that Joe is a beloved community activist, caring for the poor and neglected children in the inner city.

Samantha is drawn to join Joe in helping the children.  But she has another reason for visiting him in the projects.  She thinks she may have a clue to finding the man responsible for killing her husband.  As she thinks about the time she spent with Joe when they were in school and learns more about where he was and what he learned that made him the kind and patient man the kids love and rely on, she feels her soul healing and expanding.

Parents should know that there are some violent scenes and some sad deaths.

Family discussion:  What did Joe learn from his time in prison?  Why were Joe and Samantha friends?  Were you surprised by what Samantha discovered about the night her husband died?  Who do you know who is like Joe?

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