I know a little something about questioning faith. I was raised in a very religious tradition, and divorcing myself from that as an adult is the hardest thing I have ever done – and that includes being a parent. We live in a world that encourages skepticism; at the same time, religious belief still thrives. At times the two worlds clash, and any individual who faces that battle knows how incredibly scary it can be, no matter what the outcome.
Village 8 Louisville Exclusives presents “Higher Ground” for a limited run. This film is the directorial debut of Vera Farmiga (most notable for her Oscar-nominated performance in the 2009 film “Up in the Air”).
Farmiga herself stars as Corinne Briggs, a woman who finds God after her family faces a near-death experience, and who eventually comes to question her deepest beliefs as her marriage begins to fall apart and God does not seem to be answering her pleas.
“Higher Ground” is loosely based on the memoir “This Dark World: A Story of Salvation Found and Lost,” by Carolyn Briggs, who co-wrote the screenplay with Tim Metcalfe. While some of the scenes were invented specifically for the film, there were a few that were drawn directly from Briggs’ life that didn’t make it into her memoir. Also, the choice to make the film’s title different from the books came because Briggs “wanted to show Corrine as a character reaching for God, reaching for higher ground throughout her life.”
“Higher Ground” plays at Village 8 Theaters until Thursday. Theater information and show times can be found at the theater’s website. (Those who see the film are invited to return to this article to share whether you found the ending to be beautiful or pathetic.)
Image courtesy of the Internet Movie Database.
