Hope in action

NICK EICHER, HOST: Today is Friday, June 28th. Thank you for turning to WORLD Radio to help start your day. Good morning. I’m Nick Eicher.

MYRNA BROWN, HOST: And I’m Myrna Brown. Coming next on The World and Everything in It: a new movie from Angel Studios.

EICHER: Last summer’s Sound of Freedom exposed the problem of child trafficking. This summer, the studio’s hoping to call attention to the thousands of children stuck in foster care. The film is Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot.

Here’s arts and culture editor Collin Garbarino.

REV. MARTIN: We got churches on every corner. Every single one. And each and every one of them peoples they done heard the same thing. There shouldn’t be a child without a home.

COLLIN GARBARINO: About 400,000 kids are in the foster care system in America—that’s 400,000 kids without a permanent home or family. Many couples prefer to adopt infants, so finding a place for foster children can be difficult. The new film Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot is hoping to inspire audiences to meet the needs of these kids.

This film has a bit of an unwieldy title. After acquiring the rights to distribute it, Angel Studios added the “Sound of Hope” bit, hoping to capitalize on the success of last summer’s Sound of Freedom. But the movie is based on a true story. And I actually think I like The Story of Possum Trot more than Sound of Freedom.

REV. MARTIN: This is something that we must do. You understand?

SUSAN: Religious guilt can’t fix a broken child’s heart.

DONNA: Love can.

The story takes place in the 1990s in Possum Trot, an unincorporated, predominantly African-American community in East Texas. Rev. W.C. Martin leads a small church, along with his wife Donna. The couple thinks they have their hands full with two children, including one with special needs. But through the pain of personal tragedy, Donna feels that God is telling her to adopt more children. W.C. proves more hesitant, but his heart softens once he sees the need.

SUSAN: So, this is a seven-year-old boy. We found him in a crack house.

Following their pastor’s example, the members of the small church in Possum Trot start adopting children, and eventually, 22 families rescue 77 kids from foster care.

Much of the movie focuses on the Martins’ decision to adopt Terri, one of the toughest cases in the foster care system. The teenager has emotional problems and refuses to let anyone love her. The Martins know if they want their church’s newfound adoption ministry to continue, they can’t fail Terri, no matter the cost.

SUSAN: When people say that they want to adopt, they don’t usually mean kids like Terri.

REV. MARTIN: They’re just afraid. That’s all.

Terri’s storyline gives the film its PG-13 rating. Some of the themes aren’t suitable for small children, but the film avoids anything graphic. The language is fairly mild, despite some intense shouting and name calling.

TYLER: No! No, no, no! Leave me alone! No, I don’t want to!

DONNA: Nobody’s going to hurt you, OK?

TYLER: No.

DONNA: OK. What’s the matter?

Possum Trot doesn’t sugarcoat the adoption process. Audiences witness financial and spiritual crises, while some well-meaning Christians warn the Martins against pouring their lives out for these children.

REV. MARTIN: You know what it says in James.

MARK: I do know. I’ve got a Bible. You also need to use wisdom.

The writing and directing are solid. The actors’ performances match the weightiness of the subject matter, especially leads Demetrius Grosse and Nika King. There’s a lived-in realism to the community of Possum Trot, with its piney woods, beat-up cars, and black accents. Part of that realism is an unapologetic depiction of Christian faith that manages to avoid sentimentality.

We see characters joyfully worship God at church. We see them discuss what they think God has planned for their lives. We hear God ask His people to care for widows and orphans. And we hear church members cry out in pain, asking God to provide the grace necessary to complete the task. Moreover, Possum Trot doesn’t shy away from mentioning the name of Jesus, reminding viewers that these good deeds aren’t motivated by faith in some generic God.

AUDIO: [Congregational singing]

In all this, the movie portrays authentic faith, and it never feels “preachy.” Other faith-based filmmakers should take note.

Possum Trot resembles the kind of drama that used to be a staple of American cinema before studios started pinning all their hopes on action-packed blockbusters. The characters struggle and grow in the midst of family turmoil, and the story is all the more poignant since it’s based in fact.

The stakes might seem small in this movie that focuses on family drama rather than earth-shattering special effects, but the opposite is true. Our world isn’t in danger of imminent destruction from intergalactic threats, but hundreds of thousands of children really are stuck in foster care. Possum Trot says God’s grace is sufficient for the task.

REV. MARTIN: We can turn this whole thing around.

I’m Collin Garbarino.

BROWN: Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot arrives in theaters on July 3rd.

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