by Angela Walker for ChristianCinema.com

What happens when a pastor falls in love with a Vegas stripper? Oversold, a 32 minute adaptation of the Biblical story of Hosea walks the viewer through the struggles of Sophi (Crissy), a stripper trying to break out of that life. Sophi meets and falls for Joshua, a pastor (Stephen Zimpel). Their two worlds collide and they are forced to deal with the fallout. How do people treat a pastor that loves a stripper? Do people ever really accept her into "the real world" or the church?

This story of redemption and grace is guided by Pastor David Cowan of Elivation Church and is meant to get people to think about things, to examine their own hearts and realize the extent of God's love for the unlovable.

In Pursuit of Love

Underneath the ugliness of the story of Hosea is a beautiful theme, that of a man in love determinedly pursuing the woman he loves. No matter how many times she leaves him and dishonors him, he still pursues her. Today we might call that co-dependent, but in the Bible, it's a trait of the God who loves us so much He pursues us when others would abandon us.

This film was written by pastor Dave Cowan, of Elevation Church in Phoenix, Arizona, a church of about 100 members. The result is an interesting combination of Nooma-like teaching (Cowan makes periodic appearances to narrate the story and recap the action), love story and biblical allegory. At times Cowan's interruptions into the film are a little bothersome, and you wish he'd let us just watch the story and allow it to unfold naturally.

The production and story are strong enough to stand on their own without narrative. Director Paul Morrell is an MTV award winning director and pulls decent performances out of his actors.

From Adult Films to Biblical Allegories

Former adult film star Crissy Moran plays the role of Sophi, who is today's Gomer. Admittedly, her previous career required very little acting, and it shows to some degree in this film. She's a little awkward and uncertain of what's needed in many scenes. But then again, we're very used to the polished performances of Hollywood films that belie the awkwardness of new relationships, especially when we are hiding a secret.

But like most stories, secrets don't stay secrets, and Stephen Zimpel's Joshua soon learns Sophi's. She's known as "Angel," and, oh yeah, she is his brother Ethan's girlfriend. Ethan is a menacing character who seems to think he owns Vegas, and in some ways, is a personification of Satan himself.

There are many symbolisms woven throughout the story, some subtler than others. 32 minutes isn't quite long enough to explore all the themes and relationships introduced here, but it is enough to make us want to see more of Dave Cowan's work, and to be thankful for the redemption of Christ, especially in the life of Crissy Moran.

Rating

Oversold does not have an MPAA rating, but would probably garner a PG-13 due to thematic content, language, and some violence.

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