When I was fifteen, I was saved. Not saved in the traditional sense, but saved in the way that I raised my hand when the pastor asked for fear of being ostracized by my peers or worse, not being allowed into the kingdom of Heaven. There is a scene near the opening of Higher Ground where a large group of children are seated in a sanctuary listening to a friendly preacher. His words: "Jesus is knocking at your heart," as he taps on the microphone, "he's knocking, and all you have to do is let him in." This approach is easy to relate to as a child, but adults need more, which is how the film unfolds.
Corrine (Vera Farmiga) is one of the children seated in the sanctuary and timidly raises her hand to the Jesus question. We follow her life and the decisions she makes based on what she thinks God is asking of her. We watch as she fails through marriage and children, all the while questioning God's existence and love for her. I related to this in a big way.
Having grown up in a small Bible-belt town similar to the locations depicted in Higher Ground, this movie was harder for me to watch than it should have been. The details used in the churches amazed me, as did the exact replicants of papal personalities I have seen my whole life. After a few years of devoting myself to the Lord, I started noticing the holes and hypocrisy surrounding my conservative town's version of Christianity. This is exactly Corrine's plight. She is allowed opinions and questions as long as they are the same opinions and questions asked by predominate members of the congregation. She is allowed to express herself as long as it 'honors God' in the way that other Christians deem it appropriate. Rather than a personal walk with the Holy Spirit, Corrine is dragged alongside others' journeys--mainly those of her husband and her pastor's wife.
While the film is not as cohesive as I would have liked, the performances by every cast member make the movie worth watching. Tears were streaming down my face before I could pinpoint exactly why I was crying. Not intended for the entire family, but definitely a must-see - though I recommend bringing tissues.
