The Grace Card releases today on DVD. It’s a story about sacrifice, partnership and acceptance. The film is shot in a tone and style similar to the Southland cop series on TNT. It’s a gritty look, and very realistic according to the Chicago Police Officers I watched the movie with.

The story is more than just a cop show about a white and black partnership and the obvious issues they face as a team. It dives deeper into the heart of Officer Mac McDonald (Michael Joiner) who lost his son in an accident and must find a way to work through the pain before alienating everyone around him, including his surviving son.

With his emotions erupting in unhealthy ways, no one wants to ride with him on patrol. Sgt. Sam Wright (Michael Higgenbottom) steps up to ride with him and finds their relationship stretched to the max, until God asks him to make a significant sacrifice for Mac.

This drama is paced according to the lives of real cops, not the faster paced Hollywood action film. With reality being leveraged by the director, the audience has a chance to learn more about the emotional and mental anguish some cops bare and how God can intervene through the closeness of a partner or friend.

Michael Joiner’s performance was amazing. His screen intensity never gave hint to his professional life as a comedian. After watching his realistic tough cop performance on screen, I had a chance to shake his hand and chat about the film. To my surprise he was a soft-spoken tender man who loves God.

Michael felt honored by the officers I was with who validated how realistic his performance came across. Even the Hollywood Reporter published comments about his “Powerfully Intense Performance.” Michael shared the screen with Louis Gossett Jr., who won an Oscar for his performance in An Officer and a Gentleman and an Emmy for his role as Fiddler in the historic TV miniseries Roots.

“Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”