I’ll bet you remember the story of Coach Joe Kennedy. The famed coach helped his high school’s team in Bremerton, Washington, to achieve success — and then Kennedy, a man of strong faith, took to the field after each game to offer a prayer of thanksgiving to God. Many in the crowd loved it, and as the years passed and the tradition was observed at each game, many of his players decided to join him at the 50-yard line as he knelt and prayed.

The media latched onto the story in 2015 when Coach Kennedy, who had been praying on the field after each game for seven years, was abruptly ordered by his school to stop his public displays of faith. When he refused, the school imposed an administrative leave. But Kennedy, a former atheist and a former Marine, was determined to defend not only his own First Amendment rights but the rights of all believers across America. He filed a lawsuit against the school.

The legal battle continued until June 2022, when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in favor of the “praying coach.” After the ruling, the Bremerton School District awarded Kennedy a $1.7 million settlement and gave him back his old job.

Average Joe, the film about the football coach who fought all the way to the Supreme Court for his right to pray, is an inspiring story of courage, redemption and grace. Sure, Coach Joe (played by Eric Close as the mature Coach Kennedy, and by Austin Woods as the young 20-something year old coach) defended his right to express his beliefs publicly; but that doesn’t mean it was easy. His employer, many in the public — even his wife —  felt conflicted about the case. Joe faced an uncertain future.

So if you’ve already read about it in the national news, why should you spend an evening of your time watching the story play out on film? Here’s one reason: It’s darned good!

Seeing Joe’s determination to stand for God publicly in the face of stern opposition is an inspiration to viewers. Seeing the school administration’s condemnation when Joe exercises his First Amendment rights is disheartening, but serves as a warning to us all: that there are forces against conservatives, against people of faith, that warrant our close attention. What happened to Coach Kennedy could be repeated in our own lives, and we are wise to be prepared.

Average Joe opens in theaters Oct. 11.