Indie Film Podcast Review: The Gospel of Dating

To save his struggling church, Bishop Shama Gresham allows it to be featured on a Christian dating show.

Written by Victoria Horn.

The Gospel of Dating: Heartwarming & Humble

The Gospel of Dating starts with a moderately attended Southern Baptist congregation in Georgia, where we see the humor, passion, and faith from their Bishop (Michael Orlando Peters) during a sermon where he acknowledges an upcoming potential crisis: Covid-19. The film then flashes forward in time, where we remain for the duration of the 95 minute feature, to see the congregation numbers have fallen off completely. In a last-ditch attempt to secure grant funding, the Bishop and his only remaining member, LaTanya Brown (Nicole Pringle), agree to involve the church in a reality-style dating show. If all goes according to plan, this will give the church the money it needs for building improvements, while garnering some much-needed attention to grow their numbers again. In a whimsical whirlwind, LaTanya’s visiting niece, Angela Brown (Rachel Brooks), becomes their “Bachelorette”, while a series of (varyingly flawed) gentlemen compete for her attention.

Now that you know the story, let’s dive into the flesh and blood (that’s right folks, this film is riddled with delightfully pious puns, so this review will be, too! Strap in!) of the film itself: The message. Being completely transparent here, I was raised in the Catholic church in Missouri, and growing up through the 90s and early 00s, there were many reasons for me to take issue with the church and its messaging. I don’t expect that’s a unique experience for the Catholic church, and this film was validating that at least some similar concerns are apparent in Southern Baptist congregations. But how do you remain true to your faith (or your family) when your individual values grow away from that? Can you honor your individual beliefs while still leaving space for traditional religious practices? Is the “Modern God” still a viable concept in a world of tech, drugs, and rock-and-roll? The Gospel of Dating tackles these existential questions in a quick-witted, pun-infused, heartwarming-without-being-saccharine way. The storytelling of any film grounded in religion or spirituality is a heavy cross to bear, but writer/director Khiray Richards does so in a meticulous way that successfully toes the line between preaching and blasphemy.

A heartwarming rom-com with a religious backdrop that avoids overly saccharine or preaching stereotypes.

This film brought a lot of great things to the table, but it’s not without its flaws (like most humans, as the script says). At times, the reality-show style camera work was jarring enough to pull me from the story, and the creative framing took my attention away from the character I really wanted to see. There were occasional montage or interview cutaways (as any good reality show is wont to do) that lasted just a bit too long to get the comedic punch it started as, and an incredibly well-executed villain who, sadly, wasn’t introduced until the third act. These flaws aside, this film is one of the most validating and endearing films I’ve seen that covers such an inherently divisive topic.

A profound reminder that staying true to yourself will always yield more successful results than appeasing the wants of others.

Indie Film Podcast Recommends: Rent This Film!

There’s too much good in this film, in the character portrayals, and the overall message to not recommend renting this film. Those with any religious trauma or struggling to find their spiritual identity will feel immediately seen and spoken to by the comforting words from LaTanya, as she battles toe-to-toe with the Bishop and his traditional view of “what a ‘good church’ should be.” The “Bachelors” are a hilarious montage of the modern dating pool, and Angela’s demure responses to them are a profound reminder that (much like religion) staying true to yourself will always yield more successful results than appeasing the wants of others. On a technical note I barely ever get to call out in indie films, the lighting in this film was noticeably top-tier! From the very opening auditorium scene to subtle practicals in a variety of sets, to outdoor sequences with soft, golden light hitting every character's face, I cannot congratulate this film enough on its gaffing (which appears to have been handled entirely by writer, director, and cinematographer, Khiray Richards). 

Most importantly, this film manages to avoid the fatal flaw of so many films in its genre; I never once felt preached to. This film is a shining example of a romantic comedy set in the backdrop of a religious congregation, not a film that tells you what you should believe. If anything, this film encourages the idea that spirituality is more like a flavor preference, and is a personal choice. Even as someone who has long stopped identifying as a “church-goer”, I didn’t feel ostracized by this story, or offended by how religion was presented. Pair that with the light-hearted performances and comedic albeit pun-heavy (which I enjoy) script, and you have the recipe for a solid rom-com with a deeply heartwarming message.