Last Ounce of Courage falls flat, fails to inspire

Bob Revere (Marshall R. Teague) is a patriotic pharmacist who takes care of a band of benevolent patriotic bikers in rural small-town Mt. Columbus, somewhere in the Rocky Mountains, USA. His newly married son goes off to war, leaving his pregnant wife, Kari (Nikki Novack), behind. When the young man is killed in action, Kari takes her newborn son, Christian, to Los Angeles.

Fast-forward 14 years. Kari brings Christian (Hunter Gomez) to the Reveres’ for Thanksgiving, and they stay and get to know the grandparents. Bob is now the mayor who is sad the city had to take down the cross from the mission downtown because it offended someone. Christian watches videotapes of the dad he has never seen. When the teen learns the town can’t outwardly celebrate Christmas, he challenges his grandfather to do something because his dad died for their freedom. The grandfather challenges the boy to take a stand and do something, too.

Bob discovers there is no law that says it is illegal for a town government to celebrate the real meaning of Christmas. When he goes for it, a representative from an ACLU-type of organization tries to shut him down. It’s interesting to note that the only major role played by an African-American is that of this bad guy with a long German name, Warren Hammerschmidt (Fred Williamson), that means “one who works with hammers.”

“Last Ounce of Courage” is poorly written and acted, an unapologetic smash-up of ideas that equate being a patriotic American with being exclusive, white, Christian, mostly male and war-mongering. It’s a “them and us” world within and without the country.

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