Christian films often run the risk of looking strained or improbable for the simple reason that the decisions the key characters make just don’t seem to make sense to an unbelieving world. But cinematic greats like Chariots of Fire show that the sheer integrity of our faith can still cut through in a morally challenged word. The Wager presents one vision of what it would look like if just one of the ‘Christian’ actors in Hollywood actually decided to act like Jesus was his Lord.

In The Wager we are presented with Michael Steele (played by Randy Travis), an American actor on the cusp of greatness in Hollywood. He has been nominated for that ultimate ticket to super-stardom, the Oscar for Best Actor. His agent encourages him, “Don’t let anything get in the way,” as he prepares for the big night. But avoiding trouble seems to be far beyond Michael’s capabilities.

Steele’s acting career has been built on the back of family neglect. His wife has just announced that she is leaving him because he no longer has any time for anything but fights. His current film is a lack-luster cop piece with an opinionated hack for a director. And to make matters worse, he is being pursued by his co-star who seems to see sex as the best therapy for working out problems. In one day he blows up at the director, offends his co-star, is accused of molesting a child and punches a prominent film critic – after being served divorce papers. His chances of collecting an Oscar seemed to have slipped down the drain, along with the rest of his life.

The Wager is a modern-day retelling of the book of Job. Michael’s troubles have come on him suddenly at the height of his success. In fact, he dreams repeatedly throughout the film that he is involved in a wager between God and the Devil over whether or not it is possible to live out the message of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount in the real world. Every step he takes to try and remain pure or a peacemaker seem to only get him in deeper. The film’s brand of Christianity is particularly American in character, and so may be a little alien to Australian viewers. However the results of trying to walk the straight and narrow in Tinsel Town are thoroughly believable. As Steele’s manager Kenny (Jude Ciccolella) puts it, “Unfortunately in this town you are guilty until proven innocent.”

The Wager has one or two problems. On the technical side it’s often hard to tell whether or not we are seeing Michael Steele’s reality or the divinely inspired reminders of the Sermon on the Mount that he constantly encounters. If they are all meant to be real, then this is a plot set in a world where miracles don’t just happen every day, they happen every fifteen minutes. The bigger problem, though, is the level to which the casual viewer could mistake God’s desire for Michael as simply a closer walk with Him. Writer / director Judson Pearce Morgan makes it clear that God requires a relationship with Michael, and won’t take ‘no’ for an answer. However the constant emphasis on phrases from the Sermon on the Mount rather than Jesus and his sacrifice makes the film occasionally feel like a sermon on morality.

The Wager however leaves the viewer in no doubt that God requires more than simply listening, much more than church attendance. Michael has to come to a point where he repents of ignoring God and seeks his wisdom for acting. In short, he arrives where this review began – acting in a manner that seems unusual, even bizarre to the rest of the world because he is convicted that this is what God requires of him. Ultimately this star realizes that it will be no profit to him if he gains an Oscar, but loses his soul.