Agree To Disagree

The Reconciler

Stars: Sherry Morris, Robert Shepherd, Jourdan Steel, Jeremy Steel, Frank Chiesurin, Xander Steel and Sally Skelding
Director: Shawn Justice
Scriptwriters: Scott Galbraith and Shawn Justice
Cinematography: Kevin Hayes
Composers: Blake Wagner and Dennis Bryce Yaws
Black Wolf Media Group
Rating: Not rated but could be PG 13 for unsettling scenes
Running Length: 90 Minutes
Dove Approved

After seeing “The Reconciler,” you may not want to close your eyes if you have had an argument with someone. You may wake up in a strange place with that person, and be expected to settle your disagreement…or else. This is the plot of the film by Shawn Justice, that has a touch of terror to it, and the realization that you are not alone and someone could be watching you. We know that God watches out for us, but here, an unknown person also is…and trying to solve other people’s problems by separation from everyone else. Unsettling.

The film opens with a middle-age man and a young man unconscious on a floor. They wake up, don't know each other, and try to figure out where they are, why they are there and how to get out of a sealed room. Eventually (and this is a scary part), they discover a trunk and in it, wrapped in a sheet, is the brother of the other boy. He is as baffled as anyone. Now, there are three people trying to figure things out. Someone finds a message that says to settle disputes in seven days---there is food enough for seven days---or else. Now the talking and figuring out begins. In the meantime, we see that someone called “The Reconciler” has been at work for years doing this to people and hasn't been caught yet. The police (Robert Shepherd) want him, but a newspaper editor (Roddy Piper) asks a reporter (Sherry Morris) to dig into this story, as people are again missing. Thus, the hunt begins, and in the meantime, more people are missing, such as two bickering police officers and then a father and son who can't find time together. The officers are in a car somewhere and can't get out, while the father and son are handcuffed together at the bottom of a ravine. The Reconciler certainly is an ingenious sort. God works in many ways, but this?

As far as the many situations going on---basement, police car, ravine, reporter asking questions, and search for people---the interesting ones are in the police car, ravine and asking questions. Information comes out between the two officers (female and male) as to why he got a promotion and she did not. In the ravine, a soldier-father has to release emotions in a crucial situation. A reporter asking questions never does know just where the conversation will go and some things are surprising. Acting is good, especially Roddy Piper (editor), Frank Chiesurin (police officer), Sherry Morris (reporter) and Xander Steel (soldier-father) The dialogue suits each situation, except for the basement where people want to shout their lines to each other. Production values are good and believable (especially the ravine) and the soundtrack is appropriate to the action.

God and religion run throughout the film and we see different ways of staying in it, from strict to relaxed, yet God is still there. Recognizing this and that people are inpiduals is a key component. “The Reconciler” could easily be a TV mini-series or a series by itself. A side note and that is, “The Reconciler” was one of the last films of actor/wrestler Roddy Piper, who passed away in 2015. Piper went from the wrestling ring into acting with class.

This could be a family film for children over age eight, and be aware of scenes of people waking up in secret or sealed places.

Copyright 2016 Marie Asner