The Columbine High School Massacre was one of the most important impacts of our nation and our school systems for a multitude of reasons. A rather common but nonetheless heartbreaking event, the tragic murders of twelve people left many hearts broken and spirits withered. Families, friends, and all people nationwide watch their TVs in shock and sorrow, as they hear the gunshots and see the tears flowing in young teenager’s eyes. Most heartbreaking, however, was the fact that it wasn’t some foreign terrorist attack nor some natural fire, but rather at the helm of two psychologically troubled teenagers who wanted revenge. This, in particular, led a huge impact in our society, such as a push to more weapons security as well as multiple campaigns on Anti-Bullying and Mental Health counseling. But a lot of these changes were hinged on the biggest question of the time - “why? Why did they do this?” Multiple claims were thrown into discussion but barely any of them were concrete: “It’s the videogames!”, says one. “It’s the bullies!” says another. “Maybe it’s that pesky Marilyn Manson!”, says that fellow over yonder. Even to this day, our perception of terrorism is constantly challenged, as many people desperately wished for an answer to this tragedy.
But then, courtesy of the TV-level hacks of PureFlix, I’m Not Ashamed lunges into the fray and claims to finally have an answer! Centered around the recovered accounts of a diary by one victim Rachel Joy Scott, the film dares cement the fact that the tragic murders of 12 helpless victims were… an attempt to stop Rachel’s task of spreading the word of the Lord. No really. That’s it. I’m Not Ashamed literally evokes a metaphor saying that the root of terrorism stems from the fact that these people are Anti-God punk-rock losers who want to get revenge on those who believe in God.
OH MY F'ING GOD!! And that’s not even the worst part of the movie.
I’m Not Ashamed is a disgusting dumpster fire of a movie. A terrible, poorly-conceived catastrophe that dares use the last moments of the victims of Columbine as a plot device to halt Rachel Joy Scott’s “exodus” without ever respecting or properly representing the truth out of it. It’s a pandering, bias-pushing disaster that sinks even below the worst this type of movie offers so far. It’s Remember Me bad. It’s Little Boy bad!
Masey McLain plays a ditzy, obnoxious, Gossip Girl-rescue version of Rachel as she struggles with her last days of high school by supervision of her Christian household. After one harmless night out with her friends, her strict mother suggests the proper penance is to spend the summer in exile with her God-loving cousin on the farm so that she can find her righteous path. After she does, she acts like a saintly, cutesy little button to all her classmates. She helps a douchebag get back on his feet, joins a theater class, and makes a lovely friend with a mentally disabled kid. DAW, MOVIE! YOU’RE JUST THE SWEETEST THING AREN’T YOU!?
It’s not all smiles and sunshine, though. At times, she ponders about her faith and her place in the world like any other angsty, stupid-ass teens back then who never give a shit about anything other than themselves. This happens along with her breaking up with friends, arguing with parents and boyfriend, and dealing with stereotypical bullies. But then after some indiscernible reason, she finally finds her place (again?) with God and finally make friends with everyone in the school.
Oh, and I should also mention the FUCKING SHOOTERS OF COLUMBINE!?!?! Yeah, apparently Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold’s backstories are rushed and haphazardly scattered throughout the movie until the final scene in which they have their way with Rachel and her newly found Christian friends. Because of the insulting rush-job, they’re given the most retrograde and insulting character traits that only the most cynical, right-wing filmmakers can come up with. They play violent videogames, argues against God, salutes to Hitler, wears black, gets bullied comically, shoots weapons for revenge instead of a sport like the original two shooters, and worships a pho-creationist/fascist “natural selection” belief. These guys sound like they should be fighting against Jack Reacher instead of a fucking classroom!
Even apart from the asinine depiction and the insulting agenda-pushing by PureFlix, I’m Not Ashamed is just bad. The staging and direction are limp and inert. There’s no clear motivation or logic in anything going on within character or narrative. None of the acting works. The song cues are obnoxious. The dialogue swings from on-the-nose to just awkward. The drama’s plagiarized tenfold from other, better high-school movies. Most damning, there’s no way of smart, complex morality at play in a story that DEMANDS it. The bullies stop being bullies because “GOD, YAAS!!” and the shooters have no other trait beyond the “kill all that we hate!”. It’s insulting and unpleasant.
Now to iterate; I don’t hate God or am against any of those who follow a belief. I strongly believe that anyone has a right to follow their beliefs and that I don’t have any place to criticize anyone because of that. To all my Christian friends who love these Pureflix films or in general loves the aspect of spreading the word of the Lord, do what you wish and I am glad you do so.
However, as I still stand, this movie is just disgusting. Everyone involved should be ashamed for this movie. I would never criticize any belief or opinion, but for a movie, like I’m Not Ashamed to do exactly that implicitly is just horrible. I want to burn this movie. I want to erase it from my subconscious and hope to never utter its name or see its poster again.
AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE!!!
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