You may have heard of Sound of Hope, the new film released by Angel Studios and Daily Wire+. I saw it yesterday and found it moving and well done. It’s based on the true story of a Texas minister and his wife, who choose to take in a couple of foster children and then convince the families in their small congregation to do the same. Twenty-two families, 77 children. Pretty phenomenal.
The momentum of that rush to foster is heartwarming and might seem too Hallmark-y for many viewers. I couldn’t help thinking, “Yeah, this is sweet but unrealistic.”
The blush is soon off the rose, however, and reality sets in. These poor kids are in the foster system because their parents didn’t behave as parents. Quite the contrary. The system—which is severely flawed and often dangerous—is still a better environment than the circumstances into which they were born. So think about how emotionally and physically damaged these children are by the time they’re delivered into the loving arms of the families of Possum Trot, Texas. The movie depicts that chaotic, utterly discouraging aspect of the experience. You can’t help but give up along with the already stretched families who didn’t have the wherewithal to take on troubled children in the first place. Their prayers are sincere but seemingly unanswered.
A lovely development that takes the edge off of the impossibility is when a specific crisis with one of the older children requires the entire congregation to step in. This is “it takes a village” in its proper sense. The combination of the group effort and a moment of intimate affection brought me (and other theater patrons) to tears. Director Joshua Wiegel had the good sense to apply a subtle touch to a moment of salvation, a reminder that innocence—delicate and vulnerable—is often stifled under all the ugliness of the world.
The actual people depicted in the film are featured at the end. By then you feel you know them well, so the update is especially satisfying. I can confidently recommend this film.
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