Family Movie Night (Giveaway): Route 60- the Biblical Highway

Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this streamer of #Route60MIN, and giveaway, free of charge, from TBN, via #MomentumInfluencerNetwork, for review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it. All opinions are my own.

This new movie will be in movie theaters ONLY Sept 18 and 19th!

Synopsis:

Carving through the heart of the Promised Land is the biblical spine of Israel, sometimes referred to as the Path of the Patriarchs and officially designated as Route 60.

A highway of deep historical significance while often the scene of unrest and violence, this 146-mile road of asphalt and concrete begins in Nazareth, Israel’s largest Arab city, and ends in Beersheba, one of Israel’s high-tech centers. Running north to south, Route 60 connects ancient Israel with modern Israel, Jews and Christians with Muslims, and Israelis with Palestinians.

This trek is far more than a two-lane highway; it is a historic, sacred link to the roots of Judaism and Christianity and the stories of the Old and New Testaments.

Follow world-changing diplomats David Friedman and Mike Pompeo as they venture down this sacred road, treading the very ground Abraham, Jacob, King David, and Jesus once walked. Discover the history, witness the healing, and realize the hope along Route 60, the Biblical Highway.

Trailer:

Check out the trailer, before I give you my review-

Review:

I wanted to see this movie to see how the presented the archaeological proof for events in the bible, and how the Jewish identity for those events would be represented, in a Christian film. In this respect, I was NOT disappointed! Not only is the Jewish basis shared correctly, but the meanings for both the Jewish fand Christian faiths are well represented by both David and Mike. When the two focus on the sight they are visiting, the bible story behind it, and how they have a personal relationship to the story, the film works really well. In fact, I started reading a book the next day that dealt with Jacob's fight with an angel (and the subsequent movement of the stone he may have slept on), and my mind immediately pulled up the images from the movie and David's telling of the story. There is a little over indulgence with graphics, but they use them to repeat the bible story at hand. I do wish there was more time spent discussing each sight in more detail, as I think that could have made the movie even better, as the trek itself seemed a bit rushed. Overall, it's an interesting look at how archaeology has provided a wealth confirmation of bible stories, all along Route 60, and how the Bible is more than just a storybook, but documentation of real history, and it's a great starting point for family conversations on the Bible and its history!

My major pet peeve with the movie however, is the posturing given to David and Mike- we know they were major players in modern religious politics in the area, but the film makers constantly remind the viewer of this, by showing the exteriors of the extended cortege of vehicles the two traveled in, down Route 60. Valuable time that could have shown the photography of the passing area, or more on the sights visited, was wasted by looking at their suvs over and over, and over.....by the tenth time, I started no longer counting what number showing it was, and just groaning 'oh look, lets look at the suvs again...'. Once or twice fine, but over 10 times? Just unnecessary filler, when I know they had footage that could have been used instead. perhaps some editing can be done before the film goes to video, and this can be changed.