THE PLOT THUS FAR
Bible Quiz follows seventeen-year-old Mikayla Irle as she memorizes thousands of Bible verses in her quest to win the National Bible Quiz Championship and the heart of JP, her quiz team captain. This John Hughes-esque documentary explores coming of age in the midst of faith, doubt, fierce competition and teen love.
WHAT WE THOUGHT
“Bible Quiz” is a look at a group of teens taking part in the National Bible Quiz Championship. While the group of teens are of both genders, no one initially has any interest in the opposite sex. These guys are here to study the Bible and win. However, you start to notice something behind their eyes, as the competition carries on. The teens get the chance to bond together and realize that they have similar goals that run parallel to their Bible obsession.
Documentaries like this used to always plant my ass in a seat. I spent a great deal of time being very angry and being opposed to what I saw as the militarization of the modern Judeo-Christian faith. However, I started to ease up in the last few years, as I began to actively study the people that devote themselves to this life. The documentary does a great job of examining that in the last third, but I feel that it could’ve almost powered another documentary. Religious fervor thrives when you eliminate any competition from a youth’s life. If the youth only knows a world where the Bible is King, then they will believe it. It’s not unlike a cult, but emotions have a way of running against common sense.
The DVD comes with no special features. However, the A/V Quality is typical for standard definition documentaries. The transfer is flat with little definition. Plus, the Dolby Surround never gets kicked into gear. In the end, I’d recommend a purchase to the curious.
RELEASE DATE: 06/10/2014