Faith in the Land of Make-Believe

February 14, 2011
In modern culture the possibility of human redemption can too often be dismissed as naïve or even contrived. Stanley, award-winning filmmaker and producer, offers not only an example of authentic redemption from his own life but also from the lives of juveniles he has counseled in prison for years. The author's checkered past allows him to relate to the young people with whom he works, both as a confidant and a film director. The Gridiron Gang, his documentary about juvenile offenders playing competitive football, showcases the potential of a group of young convicts that many would like to ignore and forget. Hopefulness reigns in this memoir, as Stanley weaves the gritty account of his life and his conversion story with the lives of the young prisoners he encounters, illustrating the power of faith in God and in humanity. Anyone searching for an uplifting example of the transformative power of hope in humanity will find consolation in this story.