Higher Ground

for me as long as its Vera Farmiga movie I like it 🤣🤣🤣

source: Higher Ground

I would have to say that the basic problem with this movie is that it's jot especially interesting - at least, it wasn't to me. Basically, we follow the spiritual journey of Corinne (Vera Farmiga, who also directed this) from childhood through a fundamentalist upbringing and involvement in a fundamentalist Christian sect until the point at which (literally) she walks out of the door and into a new life. To be honest, I felt little connection with Corinne. I didn't find the character well developed. We saw her at various points in her life, but the connections between those various points weren't explored. Corinne seems to struggle with her faith from the moment that she gets "saved," never really comfortable with it, but not really comfortable breaking away from it either. Her struggles with her faith is portrayed in a number of scenes where she clearly thinks thoughts that are unacceptable to the sect to which she belongs (there's a hint of lesbianism scattered in this movie, especially in the relationship between Corinne and Annika (Dagmara Dominczyk.) Corrine has fantasies about Annika - portrayed fairly innocently on screen - but they surely represent her inner struggle with the idea that there has to be more to life than she's seeing as a part of this rather controlling sect, where she's being constantly told how to dress and where it's clear that women are second class members.) The movie wasn't overtly negative of this type of Christianity. It's clear that some members of the sect are quite content with this life. It's just that Corinne wasn't. I would have liked to have seen more about Corrine's spiritual search. The only form of Christianity she was exposed to outside of the sect she belonged to was charismatic Christianity (Annika spoke in tongues.) But even though Christianity is far more diverse than that, the movie's end seemed to point to a sense that Corinne either had to stay with the sect or leave the faith altogether. There was no reference at all to more mainline versions of Christianity, although that may in itself make a point. As a mainline pastor, my general observation has been that people raised in fundamentalist backgrounds tend to give up on the church altogether if they rebel, rather than seeking out a more moderate take on Christianity; almost as if they think, even though they've rejected the teaching, that fundamentalism is still the only valid expression of Christianity that there is. I refer to the group as a "sect" because I didn't have a sense that they belonged to any particular denomination. They seemed to be a very independent group (which, to me, raises all sorts of problems in terms of accountability.) Some of the sect members seemed to be a bit of a caricature of such people. There was a very "hippy-ish" quality to some of them. Watching Corinne's spiritual evolution was somewhat interesting, and the ending of the movie, as she walked out the door of the sect's service, did make me feel some sympathy for her. It was as if she was on her own, with no help, no one to turn to after all these years when she was told so much about how to live. Overall, though, the movie didn't really strike much of a chord with me. (4/10)

I am a Christian who have had some experience with the kind of community this movie portrays, and while watching this film, I think this is something for Christian community to watch and think about it. I don't think the film attack the faith or the religion, but it make us question whether all the singing, ceremony, bible reading, church activities,that we do everyday matter at all if there is no "Love and Honesty" in them. Doesn't the Lord tell us that nothing mater if it's not done with love? Doesn't the Bible tell us that you shouldn't come to my altar if you haven't reconcile with your brother? Doesn't God tell us not to judge others? Through her life, Corinne's growing and losing of faith reflect that even honest doubt is still better than pretending to have faith, better than faith with a narrow-mind, faith that is blind to see one's own fault,or faith that judges other people to go to Hell. How many times, after we sing and praise the Lord, and read the Bible, we go home and then hurt those people in our family? How many times we doubt but don't dare to admit to others because we want to be accepted in the community? I think watching this film and discussing about it with an open mind can help Christian community view themselves more honestly. If you watch the whole films, you will find that the moment that reflect "God" the most are the ones when the characters truly love,care,and accept one another, not the scene where praise song are sung or clever words are spoken. The most beautiful things in the movie was the good friendship between Corinne and Annika,the honest sharing of thought between Corinne and the Irish postman,and Corrine's courage to speak out about her doubt in front of her church for the last time. Those are the moment when God is reflected, not in ceremony, gospel singing, or church attending. And the scenes that make me feel a bit shamed of being a Christian because you know such mistakes do exist are: Wendy, Corinne's drug dealing sister, left her home after Corinne and her husband tried to preach to her in anger and force a faith upon her, the scene when the husband strangle Corinne's neck in the care after she tells him the truth how she feels, the scene when the counselor preached Hell fire to her and throw all the faults at her. In the end, you will understand why Corinne choose to stay "out with the dogs." (That dog in front of the church is really cute, by the way.) The only sad thing about this film that disappoint me was that it doesn't show "true faith" and "how to go through doubt after accepting that it exists in your heart." In every Christian community, I believe there are those whose faith are real and strong, not just pretending or make-believe. There are those people whose hearts are so beautiful and know what the real teaching of Jesus is and how it should be applied in life, but are wise enough to know that forcing a faith upon a non-believer or judging a sinner to go to Hell is contracting to what God asks us to do. These people do exist in Christian communities and they can really be a good example of others, even to non-believers. Recommend the film highly, but watch it with an open heart, please.

This amazingly intelligent and touching film, directed by Vera Farminga, her first, in which she also stars, was among the best I have seen this year. Farminga, known for Down to the Bone, Up in the Air, and a half dozen other fine films truly exhibits the range of her talents as an actress. The film portrays Christianity in particular, and religious faith in general at its best and its worst, depending on ones point of view. One thinks of the Tennyson quote: "there lives more faith in honest doubt than in half the creeds," I loved the scene of her outside the church building with the dogs, which took on an amazing symbolism in its context as she had just been warned by her Christian counselor that she would be cast out of heaven "to the dogs." The ending will surprise viewers. It is not predictable. The music is also powerful and authentic and carries the mood and spirit of the faith the film faithfully reflects. I think some of the negative reviews come from Christians who are offended at how this film portrays faith but there is no doubt that the kind of faith the film reflects is very alive and well, even though Christianity has many expressions around the world. This kind of charismatic evangelical fundamentalism is quite common outside the mainstream churches.

Higher Ground is a story about an honest search for faith in a fearful, posturing world. It is an unpretentious film. It is also Vera Farmiga's directorial debut and it showcases her signature style. She displays astonishing depths, carrying roles with integrity and intelligence. I've always noted that she has an atypical screen glamor that grows in its unfurling. In fact, it's a special beauty but it fits a needed niche. If you have ever walked the path of faith, honestly questing, be prepared for a cathartic, ambiguous denouement that may take you to higher ground. I enthusiastically recommend this soft, sad but lovely journey by cinema.

When Vera Farmiga selected "Higher Ground" to direct, she did not select an easy subject or one that would typically draw much box office. For most of the movie, you are in church or praying with other Christians and immersed in the evangelical world. Hollywood,in particular, does not do sincere exploration of devoutly religious material, in this kind of depth. Devout Christians are more often portrayed as mentally unbalanced, dangerous or ignorant. For the first third of the movie, I waited for the dark turn of the story to unveil black hearts in the congregation. The soundtrack is all religious, White gospel music, with mostly acoustic instruments. We are introduced to sectarian religious people who have devoted their lives to seeking a connection to God through Jesus. This is not a cynical movie, and there are no snarky undercurrents. I was prepared to dislike this film when it was clear that we are being invited into the world of a small born-again congregation. They speak the language of the intensely religious, and they find Biblical references to explain the events in their lives. Rather than being put off by it, it worked for me. Yes, there were flaws in the story-telling, and there weren't a lot of production values, but this film is about living life on a higher ground. It is too slow for most audiences, and there is no action and not much suspense. The female protagonist seeks contact with her savior in almost every scene. She is not only a servant of her God, but she is reminded that women do not teach or preach to men in her community. She has many questions about her life and her faith, and the film is about how she addresses her spiritual crisis. There aren't any bad people in this film. Even the people I didn't particularly like were very decent sorts of people. Farmiga is the protagonist who becomes born-again as a child, and, as she matures, she finds a gap between what she believes to be true and what she is hearing from the pulpit and her fellow travelers. She is unsatisfied with platitudes and the preaching rings hollow when applied to her life. Her journey is very personal, and, in the end, she follows the truth in her heart. This film does not indict the beliefs of others, and I did not find it to be anti-religious. All spiritual journeys are intensely personal. One must find one's own path to higher ground. This film takes some time to get to you; because it is sincere and essentially a spiritual journey. It will not please everyone, but it might be a gem for those who give it a chance.

Based on the other reviews, I had some hope that this would be a respectful, fair portrait of the struggles of being a Christian. Instead, I found mocking, patronizing stereotypes of Christians, from the leering summer camp preacher to the prune-faced prudish librarian to the "weird" men's group. From the laughter in the theater, I can only guess that this effect was intentional. I walked out about halfway through. I'm sure there was some kind of tasteful, dramatic moment of self-awareness for the main character that was supposed to justify all that came before. But I had already wasted time and money, and I had better things to do. If you want to see a really good movie about someone struggling with their faith, see the French film Ponette, about a 4-year-old who loses her mother and goes through a crisis of faith that is more sincere and mature than anything I saw in Higher Ground.

There is no bigger fan of Vera Farmiga's acting than this reviewer. Thus the disappointing "Higher Ground" went down like a horse pill. Total Disclosure: only the first 41 and last 10 minutes were endured in real time. The remaining hour in Fast Forward. The story's extreme repetitiveness and lack of dramatic arc was nonetheless painfully evident. Not that there wasn't a clue this film was a disaster. During an NPR interview, Ms. F. had little meaningful to say about it. In "Grand Canyon" Attorney Kevin Kline asks friend, Producer and show off Steve Martin (paraphrasing), "Why is it when someone is successful in one area they think they know about everything else?" Bingo! As her first (and hopefully last) directorial effort, Ms. Farmiga's ego trip is a crashing bore not fit for human consumption. It's the cinematic equivalent of Christ's scourging. It's self important pretentious eyewash. One Hundred Eleven Minutes! This rudderless tale would overstay its welcome at seventy-five. Maybe if it were a thirty minute short. . . Search for faith or critique of fundamentalism my ass. This is essentially the same scene played over and over again: Vera looking quizzically at someone else spouting off about Jesus. Lots and lots of vacant stares. And playing guitar while singing Jesus' praise. Even Jesus Freaks' eyes will become heavy watching "Higher Ground." Major Film Festivals, have some balls and Stop, Stop, Stop awarding these empty films. Investors, Stop, Stop, Stop investing in excrement wrapped in shiny paper with a tag reading 'Important Art'. While you're at it Independent film, hire someone besides John Hawkes. Five films in 2011? Including two Indies? Overexposure personified. It's truly amazing how many far superior films to "Higher Ground" are made yearly. Films with minuscule budgets, lots of heart and engaging stories made by passionate, intelligent storytellers. Films without a rising 'C' lister. Films no one sees. Films no one distributes. Because they've been elbowed out by "Higher Ground." Jennifer Jason Leigh's equally awful ego stroke, "The Anniversary Party," has exactly the same discordant vibe as "Higher Ground." Do yourself a favor and give this film a big, wide pass. Ptoooey!

This is about as real has it's gonna get, It never tries to be a fancy Hollywood thing. The story is Corrine(Vera Farmiga) who is happily married with good kids, lives a Christian life, pretty what a lot of women would envy her. But then tragic event that comes across her, life suddenly makes question everything. And will things start to come unravel? How will all of this come about in the end? Vera Farmiga is brilliant as actor and director, she really is believable in her performance, and as director, she does it quite, and I can tell she makes the actors feel comfortable working with her, you can see it in there performances. Dagmara Dominczyk is also good has Farmigas outspoken friend. The movie will remind you too keep the faith.