While Kirk Cameron has made FilmDrunk headlines for his upcoming movie about the war on Christmas and for Nic Cage taking over his role in the rapture franchise, Left Behind, we sort of passed right over his straight-to-video baseball movie he made back in February (there must’ve been lamb’s blood over the door). That one’s called Mercy Rule, and the cast… may surprise you.
When the game is on the line, you want people you can count on- in baseball and in life. In the midst of a challenging season, Cody (Jared Miller) learns he’s not the best pitcher…or the best teammate. Meanwhile, Cody’s dad, John (Kirk Cameron), is losing to an unscrupulous lobbysit scheming to take over the family business. Both Cody and John think their only option is to fight their problems on their own. It’s not until they learn to rely on friends, teammates, and – most importantly – their faith and family that they discover their battles can truly be won. [IMDB]
You can see the trailer for the film above, with an introduction by Cameron, who seems like he’s had part of his brain removed and replaced with some kind of smarm chip, that replaces recognizable human emotions with an air of permanent satisfaction. Anyway, in the intro, Cameron gets right to the crazy part: Mercy Rule stars MMA legend Bas Rutten, who plays a little league coach. (Not for nothing, he also tells us that Mercy Rule also stars Christian comedian Tim Hawkins, “the guy from the Chik Fil A song,” which is just a great, relevant credit to mention here).
Bas Rutten and Kirk Cameron?! It’s hard to fathom MMA’s most infamous wild man most starring in a movie produced by the guy who uses monkey food to disprove evolution and wants to steal Christmas back from the Atheists, but it’s true. I haven’t found any examples of Rutten talking about religion, but I did find lots with his Here Comes The Boom co-star, Kevin James.
Here’s James talking to the Christian Post, back in 2012:
On a more serious note, James credited his Christian faith for not just helping him in his career, but in all aspects of life.
“My faith helps me in everything, it shapes me and I always try to glorify Him in movies,” said the actor. “We all make mistakes, and if I played an angel every time I’d be out of the business. There are faulted people and there is good and evil.”
Did you know Here Comes the Boom had Christian themes? I didn’t, and I saw it. It’s even better when Kevin James explains the title.
Moreover, James explained the film’s title and that “Here Comes The Boom” refers to being the best person you can be.
“It means bringing the best of you to the table, in life, in whatever you’re doing,” James told CP. “As an employee, as a father, and to not become complacent in your life because it effects those around you.”
Huh, and here I thought “Here Comes The Boom” was just a far inferior title than “Paul Blart Presents: Mixed Martial Farts,” like we suggested. Turns out it’s, like, a metaphor and sh*t. Though come to think of it, “Here Comes The Boom” was named after Christian rock song. This is all starting to make sense.
Here’s another old interview, with UnitedMethodistReporter:
Here Comes the Boom showed characters engaging in acts of everyday faith — praying before a fight, or discussing the story of Jacob wrestling with God over a plate of pasta. What’s your own faith background?
I’m a Catholic. Faith has always been a part of my life. There have been times in my life when I’ve gone away from the faith, then come back, but I’ve grown to realize that it’s really the reason why we’re here, the reason why we were created. I’m a strong believer in it, and it’s helped me in many areas of my life.
Incidentally, the Christian Post comically refers to MMA as “MAA,” while the Methodist Reporter, not to be outdone, calls it “MMC.” Maybe there’s some Bible clause I don’t know about that warns of the dangers of excessive copyediting? I don’t know. And maybe there’s some six-degrees-like connection between Bas Rutten, Kevin James, Kirk Cameron, Christian Nü metal, and Fight Church that I’m not quite able to make right now. Whatever Bas’s story is, whether he’s become a born-again Christian, or if he’s just happy to be paid attention to, no matter what he does, I’ll always choose to think of him as the guy who invented sound effects for hitting people in the groin.