{{about|the film|the [[Newsboys]] album|God's Not Dead (album)}}
{{Infobox film
| name = God's Not Dead
| image = God's Not Dead.jpg
| caption = Theatrical released poster
| director = [[Harold Cronk]]
| producer = Michael Scott Russell Wolfe Anna Zielinski
| writer = Cary Solomon Chuck Konzelman
| based on = {{Based on|''God's Not Dead''|Rice Broocks}}
| starring = [[Kevin Sorbo]] [[Shane Harper]] [[David A.R. White]] [[Dean Cain]] [[Newsboys]] [[Willie Robertson]] [[Korie Robertson]]
| music = Will Musser
| cinematography = Brian Shanley
| editing = Vance Null
| studio = [[Pure Flix Entertainment]] Red Entertainment Group
| distributor = Pure Flix Entertainment
| released = {{Film date|2014|03|21}}
| runtime = 113 minutes <ref>{{cite web|title=''GOD'S NOT DEAD'' (PG)|url=http://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/gods-not-dead-film|work=Kingdom Cinemas|publisher=[[British Board of Film Classification]]|date=April 7, 2014|accessdate=April 8, 2014}}</ref>
| country = United States
| language = English
| budget = $2 million<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.deadline.com/2014/04/kermit-gosnell-tv-movie-kevin-sorbo/ |title=‘God’s Not Dead’s Kevin Sorbo Takes Hollywood & Media To Task As He Backs Crowdfunding Campaign For Telefilm On Convicted Abortion Doctor Kermit Gosnell | publisher=[[deadline.com]] | work=[Deadline] | accessdate=April 5, 2014}}</ref>
| gross = $33,213,504<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=godsnotdead.htm|title=God's Not Dead|work=Box Office Mojo|accessdate=April 9, 2014}}</ref>
}}
'''''God's Not Dead''''' is a 2014 [[Christian film industry|Christian drama film]] directed by [[Harold Cronk]], and stars [[Kevin Sorbo]], [[Shane Harper]], [[David A.R. White]] and [[Dean Cain]]. The film was released to theaters on March 21, 2014 by [[Pure Flix Entertainment]].<ref>[http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/gods-not-dead-film-review-690393 The Hollywood Reporter]</ref>

==Plot==
Josh Wheaton ([[Shane Harper]]), a devout [[Christian]] and freshman college student, enrolls in a [[Philosophy|philosophy]] class taught by a dogmatic and argumentative [[atheism|atheist]]. Professor Radisson ([[Kevin Sorbo]]) demands that all of his students must sign a declaration that "God is dead" in order to get a passing grade. Faced with a choice between passing the class and betraying his beliefs, Josh refuses. As Josh is the only student in the class to do so, the professor strikes a bargain: Josh must defend his position that "God's not dead" in a series of debates with him, with the class members ultimately deciding who wins. If Josh loses, he flunks. When Josh accepts the challenge, he gets more than he bargained for — jeopardizing his faith, his academic future, and even his relationships. <ref>[http://godsnotdeadthemovie.com/synopsis Godisnotdeadthemovie.com]</ref>

==Cast==
* [[Shane Harper]] as Josh Wheaton
* [[Kevin Sorbo]] as Professor Radisson
* [[David A.R. White]] as Pastor Dave
* Trisha LaFache as Amy Ryan
* Hadeel Sittu as Ayisha
* [[Marco Khan]] as Misrab
* Cory Oliver as Mina
* [[Dean Cain]] as Mark
* Jim Gleason as Ward Wheaton
* Benjamin Ochieng as Reverend Jude
* Cassidy Gifford as Kara
* Paul Kwo as Martin Yip

The film also includes [[Cameo appearance|cameos]] by Christian pop rock band [[Newsboys]], and [[Willie Robertson|Willie and Korie Robertson]] from the television series ''[[Duck Dynasty]]''.

==Production==
The film was shot in [[Baton Rouge]], [[Louisiana]] from October to November 2012. A concert appearance of the [[Newsboys]] was filmed in [[Houston]], [[Texas]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Schoen|first=Taylor|title=Christian movie filming on campus|url=http://www.lsureveille.com/entertainment/film/christian-movie-filming-on-campus/article_37b30f32-32d1-11e2-b1d3-0019bb30f31a.html?mode=story|work=[[The Daily Reveille]]|accessdate=August 30, 2013|date=November 12, 2012}}</ref>

Russell Wolfe, the CEO of Pure Flix Entertainment, stated that the "inspiration behind the setting of the movie dates back a few years ago. I was in a meeting at Pinnacle Forum and [[Alan Sears]] from [[Alliance Defending Freedom]], was speaking. He was speaking about a young girl who was asked to do some things that went against her faith and got in trouble for not doing them. That story put my jaw on the floor and made me think about how many students go to college as a Christian and how few stay a Christian after they finish their four years. It was that story that inspired me to set the movie on a college campus."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blog.alliancedefendingfreedom.org/2014/02/14/exclusive-interview-with-gods-not-dead-movie-director/|title=Exclusive Interview With Pure Flix Entertainment for God’s Not Dead Movie|date=14 February 2014|publisher=Alliance Defending Freedom|language=English|accessdate=2 April 2014}}</ref>
==Reception==

===Critical reception===
A number of sources have cited the film's similarities to a popular [[urban legend]]. The basic premise of a Christian student debating an atheist professor and winning in front of the class has been the subject of at least two popular legends and a popular [[Chick tract]].<ref>{{cite web|title='Noah' Washes Away Competition At The Box Office|url=http://www.etonline.com/movies/144928_Noah_Washes_Away_Competition_At_The_Box_Office/}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=“God’s Not Dead,” But this Trope Is|url=http://www.patheos.com/blogs/christandpopculture/2013/10/gods-not-dead-but-this-trope-is/}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=If an Anti-Atheist Story on Snopes Were Made Into a Film, It’d Be This One|url=http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2013/09/10/if-an-anti-atheist-story-on-snopes-were-made-into-a-film-itd-be-this-one/}}</ref>

The film has been panned by critics, currently holding a score of 16/100 on [[Metacritic]] indicating 'Overwhelming Dislike' based on 5 critics, and an 18% favorable rating on [[Rotten Tomatoes]]. <ref>[http://www.metacritic.com/movie/gods-not-dead Metacritic]</ref><ref>[http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/gods_not_dead/ Rotten Tomatoes]</ref> Writing for ''[[The A.V. Club]]'', Todd VanDerWerff gave the film a D-, saying "Even by the rather lax standards of the Christian film industry, God's Not Dead is a disaster. It's an uninspired amble past a variety of Christian-email-forward bogeymen that feels far too long at just 113 minutes".<ref>[http://www.avclub.com/review/gods-not-dead-mess-even-christian-film-standards-202571? The A.V. Club]</ref> Reviewer Scott Foundas of ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' wrote "...even grading on a generous curve, this strident melodrama about the insidious efforts of America's university system to silence true believers on campus is about as subtle as a stack of Bibles falling on your head...".<ref>[http://variety.com/2014/film/reviews/film-review-gods-not-dead-1201142881 Variety]</ref> Steve Pulaski of ''Influx Magazine'', however, was less critical of the film, giving it a C+ and stating "''God's Not Dead'' has issues, many of them easy to spot and heavily distracting. However, it's surprisingly effective in terms of message, acting, and insight, which are three fields Christian cinema seems to struggle with the most".<ref>[http://influxmagazine.com/gods-not-dead/ Influxmagazine.com]</ref>

===Christian appraisal===
The [[Alliance Defending Freedom]], [[American Heritage Girls]], Faith Driven Consumer, Denison Forum on Truth and Culture, [[Trevecca Nazarene University]], [[The Dove Foundation]] and Ratio Christi have all endorsed the film.<ref name="Endorsements">{{cite web|url=http://godsnotdeadthemovie.com/endorsements|title=God's Not Dead - Endorsements|publisher=Pure Flix Entertainment|language=English|accessdate=1 April 2014}}</ref>

{{quote|I believe Christians should go see this movie because it will strengthen their faith and help them question situations about how they stood up or backed down for their faith. It will also encourage them to share their faith more.|[[Alliance Defending Freedom]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Exclusive Interview With Pure Flix Entertainment for God’s Not Dead Movie|url=http://blog.alliancedefendingfreedom.org/2014/02/14/exclusive-interview-with-gods-not-dead-movie-director/}}</ref> }}

Dave Hartline of ''The American Catholic'' gave ''God's Not Dead'' a positive review and hoped that other films like it "will follow".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://the-american-catholic.com/2014/03/30/gods-not-dead-theres-something-happening-here/|title=God’s Not Dead; There’s Something Happening Here|publisher=The American Catholic|language=English|accessdate=2 April 2014|quote=Slowly but surely with movies like God’s Not Dead, others will follow, and the old secular guard will not like it and force us to endure some trials and tribulations. - See more at: http://the-american-catholic.com/2014/03/30/gods-not-dead-theres-something-happening-here/#sthash.zZY7vFmh.dpuf}}</ref> Some Christian [[Protestant youth ministry|youth groups]] are colliding in the [[Methodist]], [[Catholic]], and [[Baptist]] traditions to watch ''God's Not Dead'' together, which have resulted in screenings of the film selling out.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chattanoogan.com/2014/3/19/272244/Dallas-Bay-Baptist-Hosts-Movie-God-s.aspx|title=Dallas Bay Baptist Hosts Movie, "God's Not Dead"|date=19 March 2014|work=[[The Chattanoogan]]|language=English|accessdate=2 April 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.crosbymethodist.org/calendars/youth-watches-gods-not-dead-movie/|title=Youth Watches "God's Not Dead"|date=13 March 2014|publisher=United Methodist Church|language=English|accessdate=2 April 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ourladyqueenoffamilies.net/God-s-Not-Dead|title=God's Not Dead|publisher=St. Mary, Our Lady Queen of Families Parish|language=English|accessdate=2 April 2014}}</ref>

However, evangelical [[Michael Gerson]] was highly critical of the film and its message, writing "The main problem with “God’s Not Dead” is not its cosmology or ethics but its anthropology. It assumes that human beings are made out of cardboard. Academics are arrogant and cruel. Liberal bloggers are preening and snarky (well, maybe the movie has a point here). Unbelievers disbelieve because of personal demons. It is characterization by caricature."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/michael-gerson-noah-gods-not-dead-are-movies-lacking-grace/2014/03/31/6a57b63e-b8ec-11e3-899e-bb708e3539dd_story.html|title=Michael Gerson: ‘Noah,’ ‘God’s Not Dead’ are movies lacking grace - The Washington Post|last=Gerson|first=Michael|date=21 March 2014|work=[[The Washington Post]]|publisher=[[The Washington Post]]|language=English|accessdate=2 April 2014}}</ref> John Mulderig echoed similar concerns in his review for the [[Catholic News Service]], stating: "There might be the kernel of an intriguing documentary buried within director Harold Cronk's stacked-deck drama, given the extent of real-life academic hostility toward religion. But even faith-filled moviegoers will sense the claustrophobia of the echo chamber within which this largely unrealistic picture unfolds."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.catholicnews.com/data/movies/14mv038.htm|title= God's Not Dead|last=Mulderig|first=John|publisher=[[Catholic News Service]]|accessdate=2 April 2014}}</ref>

===Commercial performance===
In its first weekend of release, the film earned $8.6 million domestically from just 780 theaters, causing [[Entertainment Weekly|Entertainment Weekly's]] Adam Markovitz to refer to it as "The biggest surprise of the weekend...". In addition, the film added 398 additional theaters (almost 52% increase) after its 2nd week. <ref>[http://insidemovies.ew.com/2014/03/23/box-office-report-divergent/ Box office report: 'Divergent' heads straight for $56 million win | Inside Movies | EW.com]</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{official website|http://godsnotdeadthemovie.com/}}
* {{IMDb title|2528814|God's Not Dead}}

[[Category:2014 films]]
[[Category:American films]]
[[Category:English-language films]]
[[Category:Films about Christianity]]
[[Category:Films about religion]]
[[Category:Independent films]]
[[Category:Films directed by Harold Cronk]]
[[Category:Films shot in Louisiana]]
[[Category:Films shot in Texas]]
[[Category:Pure Flix Entertainment films]]