“If you fight with God,
you’re gonna lose.”
MOVIE
- Daniel McAllister
REVIEW
n the Heart of Texas sits Smith, Van
Zandt, and Henderson counties with
a combined population of 335, 570.
Described as the ‘buckle of the Bible Belt’,
there are 1,400 churches in this one area of
Texas. Little Hope Was Arson is the story of
ten of them.
I
Title:
LITTLE HOPE WAS ARSON
Rating:
Directed by:
Theo Love
Genre:
Documentary
Running Time:
In East Texas, during January and early
February 2010, ten churches were burned
to the ground within a forty mile radius.
Authorities quickly realized that the church
burnings were the work of arsonists, at
least two, and a massive manhunt ensued.
Churchgoers living in area were
understandably scared, with many ‘goodol’ boys’ hanging out at their places of
worship armed to the nines just in case the
arsonists decided to turn up and try to burn
their sanctuaries.
Released by:
It didn’t take long for the authorities to
discover who was behind the arsons, and
on February 21, 2010, Jason Robert
Bourque, 19, and Daniel McAllister, 21,
were arrested and charged. Faced with
overwhelming evidence, both men pleaded
guilty. Then in January 2011, Bourque and
McAllister were sentenced.
Reviewed by:
But that was just the beginning of the story
for these two young men.
71 minutes
MPAA Rating:
Not Rated
Production Company:
theCollaborate, Good Night
Smoke
The Orchard
Christian St John
Release Date:
Out Now : Select Theaters
Little Hope Was Arson is a powerful piece of
documentary filmmaking. It really gets to
the heart of the story and digs deep to
uncover the why and wherefores of the
crimes. It details for the viewer both sides
of the story - those affected by the arsons
and the stories of the arsonists themselves.
The production itself is excellent - the
picture and sound are clear, and the music
really helps to add atmosphere to an
already haunting film. As such this is a
highly watchable film.
As Little Hope Was Arson is a documentary,
there is actual footage of the church
burnings and interviews with those present
at the time, including some pretty angry
churchgoers. There are also some recent
interviews with the families of the arsonists
and with the arsonists themselves that
further expands and deepens the
storytelling.
Little Hope Was Arson is an engaging and
pulse-pounding documentary that moved
and challenged me in ways most other
documentaries fail to - I was again
reminded that the church Jesus spoke of is
not a building but people; that there is
always a story - a series of events - behind
every action, thought and crime, even hate
crimes; and that everyone, no matter what
they’ve done, are loved unconditionally by
God and given chance upon chance in His
grace and mercy… even those who burn
down places of worship!
CHRISTIAN REVIEW > 27