Church chaplain Carlson Pearson became the media's talking and symbol of modern times. Because of his recent statements, which cast doubt on the doctrine of the Church and that there is no hell. Then the church took him away.
Director Joshua Marston has found a compelling Pearson in British actor Chiwetel Ejiofor, who disappears almost entirely inside the preacher's booming cadences and Cosby sweaters.
It's novel to see it come from a progressive rather than conservative perspective, just as it's refreshing to see an actor of Ejiofor's caliber rather than, say, David A.R. White.
Marston's insistence on presenting both sides of the conflict without bias, hinders the movie from ever fully delving into any true emotion or character development.
Ejiofor does valiant work trying to make that enough to justify the film's existence, and he almost succeeds. But I came away from Come Sunday wanting so much more.
While Marcus Hinchey's screenplay is occasionally too blunt, "Come Sunday" accords sympathetic moments to all its characters - a strategy that gives this chronicle of religious convictions a conviction of its own.
It manages to get into those messier struggles of balancing faith and religion. The result is a quietly contemplative character piece, grounded by a characteristically terrific performance from Chiwetel Ejiofor.
A moving and intelligent drama about a schism that tore an American church apart, "Come Sunday" spends 105 minutes contemplating the nature of eternity.