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Kendrick Brothers on COURAGEOUS LEGACY: ‘We Would Love If New Generation of Dads Come to Know the Lord’

Photo from Alex Kendrick’s Instagram

Kendrick Brothers on COURAGEOUS LEGACY: ‘We Would Love If New Generation of Dads Come to Know the Lord’

By Movieguide® Staff

After a decade, Alex and Stephen Kendrick decided it was time to re-edit and re-release their beloved 2011 faith-based hit, COURAGEOUS, under a new title to honor the movie’s legacy.

COURAGEOUS LEGACY recently hit theaters 10 years after the movie’s original cut and includes new scenes and a new ending with the same focus on faith and family.

In a recent interview, the brothers expanded on their reasoning for COURAGEOUS LEGACY and why it pertains to people today.

“When we realized we were coming up on 10 years, we started thinking about the fact that the principles presented in COURAGEOUS are just as applicable today as they were a decade ago,” Alex told CBN. “And we have a new generation of fathers that didn’t have their kids a decade ago. So, these men are going to look at this movie differently than if they had seen it when they were teenagers or even in their early twenties.”

“Going back and re-watching COURAGEOUS with fresh eyes was a very interesting experience because there were multiple moments in the movie where I couldn’t remember what’s going to happen next or what the actors were going to say next,” Stephen added. “The jokes caught me fresh, the emotions caught me fresh, and the intensity at the ending felt new. Even though we wrote, directed, produced, and edited the film, it was hitting us with fresh eyes in a different way.”

Like the Kendrick brother’s newest project, SHOW ME THE FATHER, COURAGEOUS focussed on fatherhood. Alex and Stephen said that COURAGEOUS LEGACY helps encourage men in their roles as fathers.

“The role of a dad is the child’s first concept of what God is like. What I mean by that is when my dad is loving, when he listens to me, when he is there for me, when he’s teaching me, then my first concept of God the father is that He is loving. He’s wanting to teach me. He wants to be there for me. If my dad is absent, if he’s not interested in me, if he pushes me to the back burner, then my first concept of God is that He’s probably not interested in me and pushes me to the back burner,” Alex said.

“So, when a father understands, it’s not just you, you are reflecting this father concept to your son or your daughter. When they hear Father God, our Heavenly Father in heaven, that father concept is going to take heart,” he added. “They’re going to process it much the same way. And so, if you think about it, your earliest concept of God is probably very similar to what you thought of your dad. And when a young father understands that, he realizes, wow, this is not just about me providing. This is about me nurturing, loving, leading, and teaching. Being a good father is so much more than just bringing home a paycheck.”

Stephen added that he hopes the new opportunity for people to watch COURAGEOUS through COURAGEOUS LEGACY will be tool for churches to inspire their congregations.

“I know with COVID, it has shut down not only churches but men’s groups and men’s ministries too. We’ve heard that as churches have begun to meet again in person, many of those ministries have not restarted yet,” he said. “We would love for COURAGEOUS LEGACY to be a tool that churches can use to re-inspire and re-engage their men’s ministries and men’s groups. And as always, the Gospel is communicated in the movie and we’ve seen many people come to Christ from COURAGEOUS originally.”

“We would love it if people come to know the Lord through watching the film, especially this new generation of dads,” he added. “They need to see what it looks like for a man to repent and step up. They’ve got a lot of areas of their lives, where we need to surrender more fully to the Lordship of Christ. And I think seeing these four men in the movie make a decision that they’re going to move forward and try to step up will help with that. This generation really needs to be reminded of this again.”

A portion of Movieguide®’s review for COURAGEOUS reads:

COURAGEOUS is a very emotional, captivating movie. The movie opens with an African American man, Nathan Hayes, chasing down a gang member who stole Nathan’s truck, with Nathan’s son inside. Nathan has just transferred from the Atlanta police department to the small town where he grew up, Albany, Georgia. The police department in this town is very friendly, with a lot of camaraderie, but faces a growing gang threat. Adam, played by Alex Kendrick, is the leader of three close friends in the police department. When his daughter gets killed in a car accident, he goes through incredible grief. Slowly, he realizes he must be a better father to his remaining child. Adam’s realization moves his three police friends, and the Hispanic carpenter working for him, to the same realization.

The Kendrick Brothers also just released their first documentary, SHOW ME THE FATHER.

“We prayed, ‘God, if this is Your will, would You give us the right stories to tell?’ And wow, did He answered that prayer. We have five stories in SHOW ME THE FATHER, and they are some of the most powerful stories I’ve ever heard of fatherhood,” Alex told Movieguide®. “They come from every perspective, a good father, a bad father, a father who’s never there, one that you know, broke his child’s heart, and how did they recover from all of this and reconnect to God the Father?

Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.

What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.

You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.

Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.


Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.

What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.

You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.

Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.


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