I’ve always been a fan of movies that are based on true stories. When I was given the opportunity to screen Safety, a true story, and a football movie, it was a win-win. My family was all in as we gathered in front of the tv.
SAFETY is a drama inspired by the empowering story of former Clemson University football safety Ray McElrathbey (Jay Reeves), a young man facing a series of challenging circumstances, whose dedication and persistence help him to triumph over repeated adversities.
Aided by his teammates and the Clemson community, he succeeds on the field while simultaneously raising and caring for his 11-year-old brother Fahmarr (Thaddeus J. Mixson).
Check out the SAFETY trailer below:
What a major decision to make. This movie is about this life-changing decision and how the school rallied behind him. During the movie, I kept asking my family what would you do if this were you. There were some very long pauses.
3 Major Life Lessons from Safety:
Stand for something. Ray was at a crossroads where he had to choose between his school, education, scholarship, future, and his brother. It was one point in the movie that the coach told him that he was going to be shot down if he went before the board.
Ray said, “Well, I’m still going. I need to them tell me to my face!” I loved that because he could have given up right there, but he activated his faith and spirit of “It’s not over until it’s 100% over!” You have to see the movie to see what happens next.
Family is everything. When his mother went away for drug rehabilitation, his brother would have no one because Ray was away at college. He couldn’t bear what could happen to his brother if he became a child of the state, so Ray became his legal guardian and more like a father than a brother to him. His life was changed forever. He also holds no regrets.
Friends are everything too. Many times we keep secrets because we believe we can do everything (or many things) by ourselves or without help. In this case, Ray needed his friends to keep his secret. Not only did they stand by his side, when more people found out about his situation, they all also pitched in. It was a literal saying come true, “It takes a village to raise a child.” He learned that when someone wants to help you, let them.
This story is funny, emotional, and inspirational. It really is a great family movie. It’s the kind of movie where you talk to the screen and you really want the main character to win big.
“Safety” will debut exclusively on Disney+ on Friday, December 11, 2020
