Noah Bryan is living the dream.
The country music fans love him. He’s touring the nation. And his success in that genre seems inevitable.
As far as Noah is concerned, things couldn’t get any better.
But turns out, they could—though, perhaps in an unexpected way.
Noah soon gets a letter from a lawyer asking him to take a paternity test. A young boy has lost his mother, and Noah may be the only surviving guardian. After some prodding from his manager, Larry, Noah agrees to take the test. To Noah’s dismay, the test confirms that he is the father of J.J. Bryan.
Noah’s not thrilled, as you might expect. Finding out that you’re a father—and you didn’t know it—comes as a shock.
But that initial dismay turns to delight when Noah meets his son. As they spend time together, little J.J. captures Noah’s heart. They spend the day playing, accompanied by social worker. Her name is LeAnne. And Noah takes interest in her, too. By the end of the day, Noah gladly agrees to bring J.J. home to live with him.
But is Noah ready to become the parent J.J. needs?
Not yet.
Despite his genuine feelings about J.J., Noah has quite a bit of baggage to deal with. And as his career simultaneously takes off, Noah struggles with pride and making his son a priority. Furthermore, Noah’s troubled relationship with his father and unresolved grief cause him to turn to alcohol for solace.
Noah must learn there is more to being a father than simply having a kid. It may even require significant sacrifice.
God’s Country Song demonstrates the importance of family, and it depicts healing, redemptive family relationships. Colt Young, a famous country artist, encourages Noah, saying, “Family’s great. It reminds you of what’s important.”
The movie also highlights Noah’s journey toward becoming a parent. Larry tells Noah that being a father is “a huge responsibility but worth every minute.” Larry also encourages Noah to seek the help of his parents to help raise J.J.
Characters make references to the Bible and Christianity throughout the movie. Larry tells Noah that he has a God-given gift, but that pride comes before the fall. And before he takes the paternity test, Larry reminds Noah that God has a plan for him.
At first, Noah resists conversations about Christianity and biblical advice. He tells Larry that he doesn’t need his “God stuff.”
Characters go to church together and hear a sermon on Philippians 3:8. The pastor encourages the congregation to make sacrifices for the most important things in their lives. The pastor also quotes Jesus’ warning against gaining the world but losing your soul.
It is implied that Noah used to sleep around with different women, but he claims that J.J.’s mom was different than the rest of them.
Characters meet for a date in a bar. They swing dance together and share an intimate, though innocuous, moment.
Characters (married an unmarried) give their partners pecks on the cheek. We see an unmarried couple kiss.
Larry takes Noah to a shooting range where they fire rifles.
Characters at a bar get into a fight, both throwing punches that draw blood. One character’s face is bloodied and bruised as a result.
We hear a character angrily smash a guitar. Sarah jokingly slaps her husband’s hand before he can sneak a piece of breakfast.
We hear about the death of some characters, and we see themes related to grief throughout the film.
We hear the phrase “God knows” twice.
Many of Noah’s singing gigs take place in bars, where patrons are obviously drinking. A character gets very drunk and vomits. Additionally, Noah has a clear alcohol addiction, though several characters chide him for this vice.
Initially, Noah thinks his life is ruined by the fact that he has a child. And despite his character growth in the film, some of Noah’s original reasons for taking custody of J.J. are selfish, and he is not always fully present in J.J.’s life.
Like any young child, J.J. is not afraid to speak his mind. Bluntly at times. Twice, J.J. refers directly to what he needs to do in the bathroom.
Noah and Jeremiah have a strained relationship. They argue often, sometimes yelling at each other. Elsewhere, Noah jokingly suggests that his family won their home in a game of poker.
There’s a lot going on in God’s Country Song. Noah battles a drinking problem, deals with grief, attempts to connect with his father, struggles to overcome a pride issue and learns to be a good dad. Oh, and did I mention this is also a love story?
Though all of these plot strands eventually come together, the story’s pacing and focus still feel a bit off.
Regardless, the movie tells a sweet story about God’s hand in rectifying a broken life and a broken family. Plus, young J.J. is pretty adorable.
If your family is looking for a movie that’s utterly devoid of content issues, God’s Country Song doesn’t quite fit the bill. The theme of alcohol addiction and the bar fight scene may be a little intense for younger viewers. And though there’s nothing explicit, we do get verbal hints about Noah’s previous promiscuity.
But though this movie may not be completely squeaky clean, it’s still a lot cleaner than the vast majority of movies out there these days. And God’s Country Song also provides a positive message about redemption and sacrifice—one that might just have you humming country tunes all day long.
