Saving Face

Matt Kern was class president, an honor student, and an MVP in sports, but all that changed when he began running with the wrong crowd on weekends and skipping school. One night in 1988, during a car heist gone wrong, Matt's companion killed the automobile's driver, using Matt's gun. The two were convicted, and 15-year-old Matt was sentenced to 60 years in Florida's DeSoto Correctional Institute. As the youngest inmate among 1,100 men, Matt used his wits and strength to survive; nicknamed “Face,” he wheeled and dealed his way through the system until an act of violence sent him into solitary confinement for 13 months. Out of boredom, Matt turned to the Bible and for the first time confronted the issue of his own personal responsibility. Eventually granted clemency and released, Matt describes his experiences in Saving Face, with Matt's mother, father, brothers, sister-in-law, and members of his extended prison family each adding their own perspectives as the documentary chronicles Matt's transitional return to society and a normal life. A well-organized profile with a sociological appeal that will attract viewers beyond the intended Christian audience, DVD extras include an interview with Matt and a Christian Perspective clip. Recommended. Aud: P. (J. Reed)