ROUND OF YOUR LIFE

ROUND OF YOUR LIFE is a sports drama about a high schooler who’s the son of a golf legend, and who must turn to God for a miracle after his father gets into a life-threatening car accident.

Taylor Collins is clearly not interested in making it onto the school golf team, which is all that his father wants for him. His father was previously a very successful professional golfer, and his older brother has followed suit. However, when Taylor gives minimal effort during the team tryouts, he doesn’t make the cut, much to the dismay of his father. Later, his dad is driving down the road when a teenage girl who is texting and driving collides with his car, putting them both in the hospital.

The doctor isn’t too positive about the father’s recovery. He tells the family that he appears to be in a coma. Blaming himself for this accident, Taylor pleads with his high school coach to give him another chance to make the team. The coach, however, is unhappy with the entitled attitude Taylor has exemplified thus far and refuses to give him another shot. Later, Taylor is playing a round with the team captain, who is years older, and much to the embarrassment of the captain, Taylor beats him. The coach happens to see this and agrees to allow Taylor onto the JV team.

Now, that he’s part of the athletics program, Taylor is approached by a young pretty girl who invites him to go to the FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) meeting with her. She has heard about Taylor’s father and lets him know that she’s been praying for him and his family. He declines her invitation, not fully believing in a miracle as much as she does.

Now that Taylor is on the team, he’s been doing great at every tournament so far. His brother has been at home because of their father and has been helping Taylor out with his game. While at one tournament, his brother spots one of the varsity golfers cheating on the course. He records a video of it on his phone. Thus, before Taylor knows it, the coach is asking Taylor to move up to the varsity team and compete in the next tournament, replacing the cheating team member who’s been kicked off the team.

Meanwhile, Taylor finally decide to go with the girl, Bailey, to the FCA after she’s asked him many times. When he’s asked about needing prayer, even though he has a huge tournament coming up, he asks for prayer for his father because his condition seems to be getting worse. Now, Taylor has to pull it together to perform his best at the golf tournament, while relentlessly looking to God for a miraculous healing for his father.

Sadly, ROUND OF YOUR LIFE struggles with quality in many aspects of the production. For example, the ADR and Foley are not well mixed with the rest of the sound. Also, at times, the sound effects overpower the dialogue, making it almost totally unpleasant to the ears. The lighting in a lot of scenes is either blown out or totally flat and visually unstimulating. One of the major plot points, the father going into a coma from a car accident, doesn’t quite get there. The incident shown in the movie would warrant whiplash or a concussion at most, yet puts the father into a life-threatening coma and breaks the back of the other driver. That said, there are a few comical moments that do hit well, even though the dialogue and performances keep viewers from being fully immersed or becoming emotionally involved in the characters and their story.

Happily, though, ROUND OF YOUR LIFE does have some very strong Christian, biblical themes. The characters clearly allow themselves to be guided by God and look or pray to him for direction. When things don’t go the way they expect, they still are grateful to God, thanking Him for the unexpected miracles He gives. There are a few light obscenities, as well as a few examples of disrespect by a young man to his parents or other authorities. Despite the movie’s uneven quality, the positive worldview in ROUND OF YOUR LIFE is encouraging for everyone, making it acceptable for any age.