an actor first film be usually something one can afford to miss it often that first job where the lack of film experience by everyone involve be truly on display and and this film be no exception . but bad than that and even by 1982 standard this be so bad and it hysterically funny . film entirely in the chicago area on an obviously small budget and most of the acting by the entire cast be stiff and wooden and and cartoonish a cross between a high school play and bad community theater . noise from nearby traffic often drown out the dialog and and the dialog be truly bad and very declarative in a way that come off a force and expedient rather than natural and organic . scene be contrive and choppy and and even though the character go through a span of year and neither the child nor the adult age at all . i do believe it possible to make a christian film that palatable to a large and secular audience and but too often the creator of such film be so focused on the message or in this case and their own autobiographical tie to the project that good film production value be toss aside . ( i be sure it no coincidence that the main character have the same name a the producer or director or editor and cast member . ) luckily and michael madsen be much more interesting and believable to watch in his subsequent film . career like his be certainly not build on film like this one .