Michael's Movie Grade: B
A very well-made faith-based movie.
To me the best inspirational and uplifting films are the ones where you have to go through some hard stuff to get to the uplifting moments. Similarly, I think the best faith-based movies are the ones where the characters' faith is truly put to the test. It is not that I relish these elements (not in the slightest). However, I feel that the inclusion of these scenes makes the more uplifting and happier moments all the more effective. This is definitely true here. There are some scenes here that all truly hard to watch. However, because of these scenes, I found myself being strongly moved by this movie. This is a film about adopting children, who have been abused and are traumatized. The film never sugarcoats either the trauma they have suffered or how hard it can be to adopt and raise them. The movie also doesn't overlook how hard adopting multiple children can be financially for the average working person. Yet this film has moments of great tenderness that makes you understand why despite the difficulties it was worth it to adopt them. At the same time there are scenes involving one of the kids that are so tender and heartfelt that we can't help but be on her side. This is a movie that I think will inspire many who are on the fence about this type of decision to actually do it. And that means that this movie does exactly what it sets out to do and is very successful at doing it.
This movie has a major problem though. It focuses on the foster parents and one of their foster kids so much that we don't get to know any of the other children. When it comes to the other kids these parents are raising (both foster and ones they gave birth to), we know pretty much nothing about them. Not even little things like what their interests are or how well they do at school. There is one very emotional scene right after the couple adopts a pair of kids. However after that those kids are regulated to being in the background for the rest of the movie. Not only that but the resolution to what happens during this scene happens off screen. It feels wrong to have such a powerful scene and then barely address it again.
Despite this major flaw though, this is a truly powerful movie.
No comments:
Post a Comment