Directed by Tanner Christensen, Standout: The Ben Kjar Story follows the real-life journey of a young boy living with a severe craniofacial disorder who never allows his physical shortcomings or society’s cruelty to determine who he becomes. Ben Kjar’s story shows how to turn one’s unique qualities into discipline, pain into purpose, and adversity into character.
Standout: The Ben Kjar Story chronicles the life of Ben Kjar, born with Crouzon syndrome, a rare craniofacial disorder characterized by the premature fusion of the bones of the skull. At birth, Ben’s skull stopped growing, preventing his brain and face from developing correctly. Early surgery required opening the skull to allow growth. The results were numerous surgeries and the disfigurement of his face.
While Ben’s family and close friends treated him like an ordinary person, many outsiders saw him as a monster. A defining moment comes when a father (an adult) grabs his children and warns them to stay away from him. His mother wisely tells him that God made him different and gave him a reason to “stand out” from everyone else. People would always notice him, and he should use those opportunities for good.
Because of one surgery after another, doctors told Ben never to play sports for his safety and future development. While Ben was pretty good at avoiding the very activity he loved, there came a point in his pre-teens when it no longer made sense, and he began risking playing every sport. Fortune was on his side, and he soon found himself interested in—and excelling at—wrestling. His school’s wrestling program was essentially the Bad News Bears… no good. Ben dedicated himself to wrestling, and through grueling training, competition, and moments of public ridicule, he pushed himself beyond expectations. He not only amazed his doctors and coaches but also began an impressive win streak. He excelled in his first year and set a goal to win state championships three years in a row. In fact, Ben’s story was so inspiring that his teammates followed his example in the third year, and the school won the state championship.
The rest of the documentary follows Ben’s college career. Top schools recruited him, but Ben needed one final string of surgeries before he became a full adult, which led to his college offers being withdrawn. Then there’s one last important part of Ben’s life… would he ever find love?
“…born with Crouzon syndrome, a rare craniofacial disorder…”
To call Standout: The Ben Kjar Story a profile in courage would be a massive understatement. There is this idea that God uses our weaknesses—more accurately, our differences—for good, and that’s precisely the attitude Ben takes in his life. His journey through young adulthood features one miracle after another, along with one trial after another. The miracles come in his college wrestling career, where he makes numerous choices that many would question, both positive and negative. Another miracle is finding love and starting a family, knowing that his condition would be passed on to his children.
The negatives come in the age of social media, where people can be brutal and ruthless in their comments about his appearance. But Ben turns those comments into something good. He describes the Biblical story of the lame man by the pool of water, waiting for an angel of God to stir the waters for healing, but the angel never comes. Instead of waiting, Ben chooses to take matters into his own hands, guided by his faith.
The reason you need to see Standout: The Ben Kjar Story is that we live in a world that wallows in weakness. Our shortcomings become our identity. Ben Kjar’s story shows that when you work to overcome your perceived weaknesses, you become a better, stronger person—one who can tackle any obstacle the world throws at you. You’re not going to win every battle, and even those losses will make you stronger and more capable of facing the cruel world outside your door.
Tanner Christensen beautifully captures Ben’s story through interviews with Ben, his family, friends, and even the competitors he faced along the way. Christensen is not short on archival footage from Ben’s career. It’s perfect for the entire family and for anyone you know who’s struggling right now.
For more information, visit the Standout: The Ben Kjar Story official website.
"…one miracle after another"
