77 Chances (2015) User Reviews

Till you get it right

[bkoganbing · 5/10 · 7 October 2018]

Christian filmmakers got a hold of the plot to Groundhog Day and turned it into a family values drama. 77 Chances is the story of a man Andrew Cheney who keeps living the same day over and over again. He even meets the girl of his dreams in Rachel Hendrix, but because he's in this time loop he can't get beyond promising another meeting.

During the course of things he meets a pastor who actually believes his story in like the 3rd repeat. The advice is change something significant in the day and you may break free. In any event the Deity keeps giving you 2nd, 3rd, 4th chances, just figure it out.

Here's a hint it's the particular day that is being repeated that contains the clue to figuring it out.

77 Chances is not a bad film and could and should get more than church bookings.

Genius does what it must....

[andrew-805 · 3/10 · 10 April 2023]

Talent does what it can... This movie is the latter The Groundhog Day script and direction was flawless - this movie has an annoying over-loud often syrupy soundtrack which tries to paper over the sparse cringey language.

The problem is the lack of characterisation in bland dramatis personae - including the lead - it seems like the actors are putting much feeling into the scenes.

The lead doesn't learn ice sculpting nor to play Rachmaninov 2nd piano concerto, or really anything.

The church visit gives a chance for him to change himself and He just gets her pawned broach for her.

Personally, I'd have preferred to learn the piano. There is a nice twist at the end, which is sweet. Watch Groundhog Day instead ....

Excellent

[TympanicMembrane · 10/10 · 20 March 2018]

Found this one on Pureflix, not super high expectations. Also the repeat a day has been done a few times. However absolutely love this movie. I would call it a great romantic comedy type. Acting between the two main characters was excellent and great chemistry. It was like a study in male/female interactions given diff approaches and positive/negative outcomes. Lots of smiles as the romance is negotiated. The overall message is about making the right choices and it takes the main character a while to figure. surprising character reveal was interesting. I also found the soundtrack quite touching.

Better than "Groundhog Day"

[Fltaylor67 · 10/10 · 18 February 2019]

"Groundhog Day" drove me nuts, but this is a sweet love story that is clean and well acted.

Very Good.

[brlfrndz · 8/10 · 19 November 2018]

It's basically "Groundhog Day" but with Christian values, yet I don't think that cheapens the film at all, considering that "Groundhog Day" already had Christian themes in it to begin with; so to complain about this being a knockoff is kind of pointless.

Rather, it takes that established formula of living the same day over and does new things with it, which is always welcome.

The main character, Jason, goes through the same thing, except what he has to confront is the bitterness and disdain he has for the rough patches in his life. This is brought about by the girl he meets, Mack, who propels him toward his journey of trial and error until he gets it right. The chemistry between the characters is believable due to the humorous writing. It's a common thing for reviewers to point out the humor which fails in faith-based films, but I legitimately laughed out loud at some of the scenes. Additionally, the acting is quite good here, particularly so in the more serious moments. The humor can still be cheesy at times, but it's so little that it's easy to overlook at about the 20-minute mark. The chemistry between the leads had to work in order for this to be good, and it did. It was borderline excellent.

The message of forgiveness may have been done plenty of times, but as long as humans exist, there will always be interesting ways to tackle old themes. In the case of "77 Chances," the same applies, and it still feels fresh for doing so. It's also very well paced, and solidly lit with some moments of very good cinematography.

I would definitely recommend this movie to non-Christians because it is competently acted and directed, but I have to give major props to the main actor. He was great. He doesn't deal with his pain in a predictably angry and over-the-top way but rather, he's deeply hurt by his past so his bitterness manifests itself in his life in both obvious and far more subtle ways. The obvious ways are that he's not enthusiastic about his job and not always considerate of others. The subtle ways are that he's actually polite when confronted about the heavy things in his life, even if he suppresses them. This makes a world of a difference in terms of execution.

Another interesting thing to note was how Jason and Mack were opposites. It's not that Jason is shy, but rather lowly and quiet. Mack was the extrovert. These personality types work believably together; and yes, there are extroverted girls out there who initiate contact. They exist. It's happened to me. I didn't entirely buy in to the nerd-girl aspect of Mack's character, but it's a movie. You don't watch this for absolute realism. You watch it for the message and for it be conveyed well enough.

Christian or not, give it a go. I could see even the most cynical viewers enjoying it because the date scenes are actually sweet and funny. There's no denying the effort that was put in to the script for the romantic parts to work. Besides, who doesn't enjoy a good love story?

Stuck in rut? This one's for you!

[margeryred · 10/10 · 10 March 2018]

This is a great movie. Very inspirational and moving for the person who might be stuck in a rut - let's be honest - that's all of us! This movie exposes the person who is chasing happiness but then redefines what happiness really is. Definite must see!

Great movie!

[kmwilson-18701 · 10/10 · 24 May 2021]

I love this movie! Great meaning behind it. I would like to know all of the songs by Alan powell.

Love This Movie - And It Plays a Scene Right From My Own Childhood

[dial911book · 10/10 · 13 October 2020]

Not a super spoiler, but still wanted to give fair warning.

I really like this movie on many levels. The story line is a little like Groundhog Day, but nicely the characters address that in their dialogue, which makes it totally not a knock-off.

I love the simplicity in the scenes, props, décor - like a stage play, simplicity in those things allows for the mood to be set while the focus is upon the characters' movements and dialogue. The actors shined in their roles, I wish I could tell them that personally. The writing is crisp, meaningful, fun, and the directing assembled a solid performance. Camera work and editing were top notch.

I listen to the music in movies, and the compositions for 77 Chances are great music in their own right, but especially they dovetailed wonderfully with the storyline and screenplay. Shazam did not find the tunes, but fortunately they are credited. Congrats to the composers and musicians involved!

One thing that worked really well - and it depended heavily upon the script, director, and actors to deliver - was how characters Jason and Mac interplayed on the various repeated days when Jason missed the mark with connecting with Mac. In Groundhog Day, the two characters rather "overplayed" the miscue moments - that's part of what made the movie humorous. By contrast in 77 Chances, the miscues were more realistic, more serious, and, frankly, I found them emotionally much deeper.

Here's the quasi spoiler: I had nearly the identical experience with my father, almost word for word, when learning to ride a bicycle in 1962 (yes, they existed then 😊) Just like Jason describes in the last quarter of the movie - my Dad took off my training wheels and he walked or jogged next to me, holding my bicycle so I could ride. If he let go, I fell over - just like Jason describes. But Jason decided to trust his father who said if he put his mind to it and believed, he could do it, and in that way be able to ride the bike alone. My experience: the next morning after my Dad ran himself ragged with me around the block ... I went to my bike, got on it, and said aloud to myself "Daddy's holding me" over and over as I pushed off and pedaled. I trusted the belief ... and rode the bike alone for the first time, all around the block! To this day, I credit that experience as my first clear moment of Faith, i.e., putting my mind into a place that I trusted what the father said and relied upon him even though I could not see him.

It was 1 in the morning when I found this movie, I recently got PureFlix and was looking for something uplifting after a long day. Totally astounded to find a screenplay that featured a scene from my own life!

So Good!! Now One of My Favorites!

[dimess-03449 · 10/10 · 27 October 2021]

Excellent acting!!!! Excellent location!! Excellent theme, though a bit like the Groundhog Day movie. But this film is so much more! I highly recommend to everyone!!

Great movie with lessons

[hermanbos · 8/10 · 16 October 2022]

Good play on a simple script. Who I am? What's my feelings? What do I believe? Deep questions with small big answers. Love, forgiveness and let go!

In the middle of the movie is it a little slow. But it repaired himself. 77 chances and 77 dates are never boring with this cute girl and wearing conversations.

It's absolutely a Christian movie, but open for everyone. It's bring you to the essence of life. There is one way and many routes. This is a light, not pushing, movie with the best choices to make.

Open your heart and look in your own mirror. Forgiveness opened the doors of the hearts...