The faith-based Tulsa directed by Scott Pryor and Gloria Stella has an earnest heart that subdues its mawkish elements. It centers on nine-year-old Tulsa (Livi Birch), a spiritual young girl who is taken from her abusive foster mother and put into the hands of a tireless social worker Jaylene (Nicole Marie Johnson). Tulsa leads Jaylene to her biological father, Tommy Colston (Pryor), a former Marine and auto shop mechanic who numbs his depression, grief, and traumatic memories with alcohol and pills. Jaylene happened to go to high school with Tommy, and much to Tommy's chagrin, she arranges for Tulsa to stay with him.
Comedic hijinks ensue when the holier than thou Tulsa cleans up her grease monkey father’s act, discarding his cigarettes, booze, and organizing his home. Most of all, the pint-sized evangelist encourages him to embrace Christianity like her late mother did after she had Tulsa out of wedlock. Tommy is too bitter about the tragedies in his life to fully embrace Jesus, but he is swayed during a particularly moving scene with Tulsa's pastor that touches on the virtues of hope and faith in a better tomorrow that resonates with everyone.
There are a number of stilted performances from the supporting characters (often with odd long pauses in between lines), but the leads are thoroughly charming. Pryor nails his character’s inner pain beneath a layer of sardonic, stoic masculinity. Birch is an outstanding, confident talent whose lively presence elevates her cliche role of a precocious child. Like Tommy, we are easily swayed by her bright energy and enthusiasm. Her performance, as well as her warm chemistry with Pryor, squelches any of the film’s melodramatic misgivings.
Although Pryor and DeMartino’s script is often too mushy and the humor sometimes falls flat, it deftly pivots from a lighthearted, humorous father/daughter story to a tear-jerking drama. This transformation is hard-hitting and incredibly touching. The beginning of Tulsa feels overly long, but the slow, protracted set up enables the ending to pack a greater emotional punch. Some other highlights of Tulsa include the lovely Georgian exteriors and the beautiful soundtrack. A family-friendly film primarily for the Christian market, Tulsa is a feel everything movie, one that will touch your heart no matter what faith (or lack thereof) you subscribe to.