MOVIEmeter
Top 5000
Down 33 this week

Machine Gun Preacher (2011)

R  |   |  Action, Biography, Crime  |  2 November 2011 (UK)
6.8
Your rating:
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 -/10 X  
Ratings: 6.8/10 from 50,188 users   Metascore: 43/100
Reviews: 120 user | 132 critic | 32 from Metacritic.com

Sam Childers is a former drug-dealing biker tough guy who found God and became a crusader for hundreds of Sudanese children who've been forced to become soldiers.

Director:

Writer:

Watch Trailer
0Check in
0Share...

Watch Now

From $2.99 on Amazon Video

ON DISC

Top 25 Trivia Items From the Last 25 Years

Here are some amazing facts and figures to deepen your appreciation of the movies you love.

See the full list

User Lists

Related lists from IMDb users

a list of 21 titles
created 07 Dec 2011
 
a list of 25 titles
created 26 Mar 2012
 
a list of 30 titles
created 27 Jul 2012
 
YTW
a list of 23 titles
created 01 Feb 2013
 
a list of 27 titles
created 09 Jun 2013
 

Related Items

Connect with IMDb


Share this Rating

Title: Machine Gun Preacher (2011)

Machine Gun Preacher (2011) on IMDb 6.8/10

Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below.

Take The Quiz!

Test your knowledge of Machine Gun Preacher.
Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. See more awards »

Videos

Photos

Learn more

People who liked this also liked... 

Crime | Drama | Thriller
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.4/10 X  

A frustrated man decides to take justice into his own hands after a plea bargain sets one of his family's killers free. He targets not only the killer but also the district attorney and others involved in the deal.

Director: F. Gary Gray
Stars: Gerard Butler, Jamie Foxx, Leslie Bibb
Gamer (2009)
Action | Sci-Fi | Thriller
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 5.8/10 X  

In a future mind-controlling game, death row convicts are forced to battle in a 'Doom'-type environment. Convict Kable, controlled by Simon, a skilled teenage gamer, must survive thirty sessions in order to be set free. Or won't he?

Directors: Mark Neveldine, Brian Taylor
Stars: Gerard Butler, Michael C. Hall, Ludacris
Documentary
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 9.1/10 X  

The Machine Gun Preacher Documentary tells the true story of Pennsylvanian (USA) biker Sam Childers. It follows the raw story of a man who overcame a life of drugs and violence to become a ... See full summary »

Directors: Kevin Evans, Zac Simpson
Stars: Sam Childers
Action | Comedy | Romance
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 5.5/10 X  

A bounty hunter learns that his next target is his ex-wife, a reporter working on a murder cover-up. Soon after their reunion, the always-at-odds duo find themselves on a run-for-their-lives adventure.

Director: Andy Tennant
Stars: Jennifer Aniston, Gerard Butler, Gio Perez
Biography | Drama | Sport
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.2/10 X  

When young Jay Moriarity discovers that the mythic Mavericks surf break, one of the biggest waves on Earth, exists just miles from his Santa Cruz home, he enlists the help of local legend Frosty Hesson to train him to survive it.

Directors: Michael Apted, Curtis Hanson
Stars: Jonny Weston, Gerard Butler, Elisabeth Shue
Coriolanus (2011)
Drama | Thriller | War
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.2/10 X  

A banished hero of Rome allies with a sworn enemy to take his revenge on the city.

Director: Ralph Fiennes
Stars: Ralph Fiennes, Gerard Butler, Brian Cox
Action | Thriller
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.5/10 X  

Disgraced former Presidential guard Mike Banning finds himself trapped inside the White House in the wake of a terrorist attack; using his inside knowledge, Banning works with national security to rescue the President from his kidnappers.

Director: Antoine Fuqua
Stars: Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman
Comedy | Romance | Sport
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 5.7/10 X  

A former sports star who's fallen on hard times starts coaching his son's soccer team as a way to get his life together. His attempts to become an adult are met with challenges from the attractive soccer moms who pursue him at every turn.

Director: Gabriele Muccino
Stars: Gerard Butler, Jessica Biel, Dennis Quaid
RocknRolla (2008)
Action | Crime | Thriller
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.3/10 X  

In London, a real-estate scam puts millions of pounds up for grabs, attracting some of the city's scrappiest tough guys and its more established underworld types, all of whom are looking to get rich quick. While the city's seasoned criminals vie for the cash, an unexpected player -- a drugged out rock 'n' roller presumed to be dead but very much alive -- has a multi-million dollar prize fall into... See full summary »

Director: Guy Ritchie
Stars: Gerard Butler, Tom Wilkinson, Idris Elba
Biography | Drama | Sport
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.8/10 X  

The true story of a newly appointed African-American coach and his high school team on their first season as a racially integrated unit.

Director: Boaz Yakin
Stars: Denzel Washington, Will Patton, Wood Harris
Biography | Drama | Sport
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.7/10 X  

The story of Michael Oher, a homeless and traumatized boy who became an All American football player and first round NFL draft pick with the help of a caring woman and her family.

Director: John Lee Hancock
Stars: Quinton Aaron, Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw
Short | Adventure | Biography
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7/10 X  

Former child slave, James Kofi Annan, braves all the odds and rises to become one of the leading anti-child slavery activists of our time.

Director: Steven Keen
Stars: Stephen Nsiembe, Salima Abu, James Kofi Annan
Edit

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
...
...
...
Daisy
...
Donnie
Ryann Campos ...
Paige #1
...
Paige #2
...
Deng
Grant R. Krause ...
Billy / Contractor (as Grant Krause)
Reavis Graham ...
Pastor Krause
...
Bill Wallace
Barbara Coven ...
Shannon Wallace
...
Biker Chick
...
Bartender (as Nicole Sobchack)
...
Shaved Head
Mike Litaker ...
Drifter
Edit

Storyline

In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, addicted gang biker Sam Childers is released from prison and learns that his wife Lynn is no longer a stripper but has converted to Christianity. One night, Sam and his best friend Donnie give a ride to a hitchhiker who threatens Donnie with a pocketknife; however Sam reacts and turns the tables on the stranger. Sam is affected by the incident and is convinced by Lynn and his mother Daisy to join their church, and he is baptized. Sam finds a straight job in construction. When he meets a preacher from Africa, he decides to visit the continent. Sam travels to Northern Uganda and South Sudan many times and builds an orphanage for the victims of the cruel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA). Further, he fights whenever necessary and becomes a legend known as The Machine Gun Preacher. Written by Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

Hope is the greatest weapon of all


Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violent content including disturbing images, language, some drug use and a scene of sexuality | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
Edit

Details

Country:

Language:

| |

Release Date:

2 November 2011 (UK)  »

Also Known As:

El rescate  »

Box Office

Budget:

$30,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$45,130 (USA) (23 September 2011)

Gross:

$537,580 (USA) (18 November 2011)
 »

Company Credits

Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

|

Color:

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
See  »
Edit

Did You Know?

Trivia

The city Noblesville mentioned in the movie when describing roofing jobs is actually a city outside of Indianapolis and not in Pennsylvania. Jason Keller, the writer of the film, is from Indianapolis. See more »

Goofs

On one of Sam's final trips to Sudan shown in the film, his wife, daughter, and friend go with him as far as the boarding gate at the airport. For security reasons, after the September 11 terrorist attacks this was no longer permitted. See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
Prison Clerk: [returning his belongings] You ya go.
Sam Childers: You all go fuck yourselves now, okay?
See more »

Crazy Credits

During the end credit roll, clips and pictures of original main characters (Sam Childers, Lynn, Paige & SPLA Soldier, Deng) are shown. See more »

Connections

Featured in The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Episode #20.4 (2011) See more »

Soundtracks

Busy Kids
Written by Asche & Spencer
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

See more (Spoiler Alert!) »

User Reviews

 
Had to travel to Denver to see it, but it was worth it.
31 October 2011 | by (Winston-Salem, NC) – See all my reviews

The interesting observation after viewing this film at the historic Mayan Theater in downtown Denver was that every female was crying by the end and the men were poker-faced. Also of interest is that the negative reviews, which are often unnecessarily unkind to Gerard Butler, and unhelpful to the reader, often seem to have been posted by males. Sure, women around the world are crazy about Gerard Butler, but come on, this was an astounding performance about the life of an awe-inspiring man. If you didn't like the film, walked out, or wanted to punch Mr. Butler in the face, then donate the cost of your ticket to Angels of East Africa. My final comment is that Mr. Butler produced this film because it wouldn't have been made otherwise. This is a story that had to be told and he didn't accept his normal fee for his performance; in fact, although I obviously can't confirm it, I heard that he accepted a fraction of a fraction of his normal fee.


92 of 128 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you?

Message Boards

Recent Posts
Machine Gun Preacher - dumbest American propaganda ever ! ilokk
payment to Sam Childers neilrowe44
Two crew members killed Kahle4
Kony 2012 going viral on youtube? brandoblues
Why do you people have such negativity towards it? MeIrakli
Good movie zuckerberg
Discuss Machine Gun Preacher (2011) on the IMDb message boards »

Contribute to This Page

Create a character page for:
?