A Top-20 Finish for "Southern Gospel" in its Debut Weekend

This 1960s period piece pulls that off despite a limited release footprint.

Lead actor Max Ehrich appears in a scene from "Southern Gospel." Image: Sunbreak Studio/from Facebook.

Southern Gospel brought in $181,000 at the box office over the weekend, which was the first of its theatrical release. That performance, according to The Numbers website, was good enough to put it in 17th place overall, despite playing in just 600 venues.

Based on the true story of rocker-turned-gospel-performer Samuel Allen, the faith-based film stars Christian actor Max Ehrich and Katelyn Nacon, and it follows the musician's journey from substance abuse and jail to redemption and forgiveness. Written and directed by Florida pastor Jeffrey Smith, Southern Gospel also features 10 original songs composed for the movie and performed by Ehrich, who himself is a lifelong musician.