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I didn't go to film school. I'm not a licensed critic. I'm an expert on storytelling and I'm about to tell you a story. So, this is going to be like one of those recipe blogs where we weave and wind our way on a journey that eventually leads to a point. If you're here for that, cool.

If not, feel free to skip to the review.

I don't see movies often. The determiner of whether or not I see a movie typically reflects the answer to one question:

Do I want popcorn?

Well, that system fails because, yes. At any given time, I want popcorn. It's an unstoppable, perpetual craving that I can satisfy at home, after four years of working in a movie theater as a teen, with my trusty vintage Stir-Crazy and lifetime supply of Flavocal butter salt. I'm sure it's some kind of carcinogen, but if getting cancer tastes this good, I don't want to be right.

All that to say: I don't go see a movie to 'support the cause.' I saw Nefarious because it looked interesting and it was. Even pre-ordered the Blu-ray. But I didn't run out to see Sound of Freedom and I thought Sound of Hope would be the same way. It's not something I'm interested in.

Then I saw on X that Elizabeth Mitchell was in it and I was like, "Well, damn."

You see, when I was in high school in Texas, my family and I went to see a production of The Greatest Christmas Pageant Ever. And a heated discussion started between my siblings, parents and aunt about the woman sitting behind us. She looked familiar. Eerily familiar. Like maybe we had seen her earlier in the Christmas season. At a little movie called The Santa Clause 2.

Sick of conjecture, at intermission, I whipped around and said, "I'm very sorry to bother you, but you look exactly like the woman in Santa Clause 2."

And she said, "That's because I am the woman in Santa Clause 2."

We all gushed for a moment about how much we enjoyed the movie. She was very gracious and wonderful and from that moment on, I have followed her career. I mean, she was the first celebrity I met in the wild. That sort of stays with you. Also, as an avid LOST fan, I was absolutely THRILLED when she showed up on screen in the opener of season 3. If she ever happens to read this and remembers that silly teenager at a small theatre in Dallas, TX, you were so kind, you earned a fan for life.

So I had to go see Sound of Hope.

And she is wonderful in it.

But, so is everyone else.

Sound of Hope is the true story of Possum Trot, TX. After the death of her mother, Pastor's wife Donna (Nika King) feels God is calling her to adopt children. Her husband, Reverend WC (Demetrius Grosse) is hesitant at first, but as the kids arrive, he begins to understand the need for the community to take on the challenge. Over time, 22 families in the small, poverty-stricken community end up adopting 77 high risk children, taking them out of the flawed foster system.

The story focuses on Donna and WC dealing with a girl, Terri, who has the hardest time adjusting. Social worker Susan (Mitchell) is very protective of Terri as she has been in the system for a three years. Susan wants nothing more than to see Terri in a permanent home that allows her to flourish. It takes a little convincing, but eventually, Susan is all in on Possum Trot's mission.

Review:

Sound of Hope is a good movie. It has a beginning, a middle, and an end (in today's Hollywood, I feel like that's important to draw attention to). You'll probably cry a lot. The emotional beats of the story are intimately entwined with the plot beats that make for a satisfying, enjoyable watch.

There are no lesbians in space. There are no explosions. Like most movies, it could probably stand to be about a half hour shorter, but there's an industry standard here we need to uphold. The movie ends by updating us on the real life versions of the characters in the story. It's a happy ending. Even the dude next to me was crying.

Sound of Hope does not sugarcoat the struggles of adopting a high risk child. The community struggles. The story highlights the strength of faith, the strength of a community that is built on faith.

While the main focus of the story is on community with faith, it is easy to see the failure of the state in this regard (we're conservatives, aren't we? I have to go there).

While Susan is passionate about her job, dedicated to saving the children, you can see that the State is not in a position to provide the essentials to these kids. In one poignant line: "the state is not a family." Even within the system, success is more determined by individual will than by the overseeing organization. If the state is to succeed, it will be because of people like Donna, WC, and Susan that overcome it, not the people who perpetuate a status quo.

Take that, Communists.

If you are an atheist, I'm sorry. This movie's probably not for you. I don't think you'll understand it. Then again, if you have a hankering for popcorn, give it a shot. Maybe you'll learn something.

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Kate works in production at LwC. She is an author. When she isn’t writing...who are we kidding? She’s always writing. You can find her here on X.