If those making message based, right-wing films want themselves to be taken at all seriously, they need to make better films than this. "Persecuted" starts out with an unrealistic premise, then seeks to become a political thriller, but does so with such a lack of finesse or energy that there isn't a single span of even thirty seconds that would keep me from flipping past it if I'd encountered it airing on television.
The film follows a popular televangelist (James Remar) who opposes "Religion Reform" that is on the verge of passage by Congress. Apparently he alone has enough clout to ensure either passage or defeat. A single televangelist having this much power is the least of the film's implausibilities. The reform movement itself is ridiculous. From what I was able to gather, it was something about providing "equal time" to all religions in all locations, basically combining every religion. The senator behind the movement (Bruce Davison) assures the preacher that this bill is good for him, because it will get him coverage in temples and mosques, widening his viewership. I'm not one to summarily dismiss conservative claims about a war on religion, but when they take it to such a ridiculous level, they undermine their own cause. There's such a thing as exaggeration to prove a point, but when the exaggeration is this extreme (I'm convinced any liberals who think about trying to pass such "Religion Reform" will have gotten the idea by hearing about this movie), it makes other, potentially more valid arguments, lose credibility.
When Remar announces his intentions to fight the legislation, he is promptly framed for murder by a "vast left-wing conspiracy" complete with a President inspired by Bill Clinton (way to be timely). If the suspense and thriller elements that this leads to were of high enough quality, they could have saved the film from its ridiculous premise. If it were entertaining I wouldn't be such a stickler for realism. But it is very far from entertaining. The film goes through the standard "man on the run" scenes in an obligatory fashion. Many of those scenes feel ripped directly from "The Fugitive", only with all of the energy squeezed out, replaced instead with moralizing, Bible quoting monologues. Remar does his best with the material he's given, but he's not given very much. Even the plot "twists" feel rote and uneventful.
I can think of nothing in this film to recommend. Even with the actors often doing everything they can, the film's somber tone prevents them from elevating it to a campy level of entertainment. There's a good right-wing political thriller out there, waiting to be made. But as long as producers are content to keep making films like this, that thriller will be waiting a very long time.
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