Within the faith community right now it seems like everyone is discussing the same thing; The Sound of Freedom. Recently the film went head to head with Indiana Jones and it gave Indy a run for his money. Literally. Over July 4th, the time period when you expect the large tentpole films to dominate, The Sound of Freedom overtook Indy at the box office. And rightly so. The movie is a quality film with a powerful message. It deserves the space at the box office.
Jim Caviezel is absolutely brilliant as Tim Ballard, the founder of Operation Underground Railroad. This man has a keen ability to share the burden of emotion, broken hearts, and compassion in ways that few other actors can manage. Throughout the film, many scenes needed no words as Caviezel expressed everything and more with a look, a sigh, or a tear. We all knew his agony and the weight of the burden he was willing to carry. Top marks for Caviezel’s work on this one.
The pacing, plot, music, and acting were all well done in this film. Trafficking can happen in an instant and many salient and important points about it were dropped in this film without being overly preachy or expository. (That’s one of my biggest pet peeves in films by the way.) If you pay attention, you can learn a great deal about how trafficking happens, what parents should look for, and warning signs while watching this film.
Movie vs. Reality
There has been some discussion about what really happened and how much of the movie is actually true. Truth be told, this isn’t too much of a problem for me. It’s a sad but honest fact that most films and television shows that have been based on true stories have been played with to some degree. The reality is that the things that happen every day in real life often have loose ends leftover, plot holes, and long, boring moments where nothing actually happens. Every time I have been asked to translate a real life story, changes have needed to be made in order to more smoothly tell the story on the screen, so I’m willing to give a bit of grace on this aspect.
Kudos to Angel Studios
A few years ago I worked on a trafficking film that was released nationwide in theaters and let me tell you, it was a super hard sell. No one wanted to even consider a movie about this topic. If I had a quarter each time we were told “No one is going to pay money to sit down and watch a film about human trafficking.” I could probably have funded my own film. The fact that so many people have access to see this film in theaters is a miracle in and of itself. Kudos to Angel Studios team for not being afraid to shake things up and get it into theaters.
Want to Learn More?
Those who know me are aware that I have been a passionate anti-trafficking advocate for many years. Ten to be exact. That was when a book called Rescuing Hope was released. If you would like to learn more about how it happens, get yourself a copy. You can also check out the organization Rescuing Hope. Founded by the author of the book, Susan Norris, this organization is making incredible changes in legislation, education, and rescue of trafficking victims. I cannot more highly recommend them if you are looking for ways to help the cause. Also, watch later this week for another article I’m pulling together that will have tips, ideas, and opportunities for ways that everyone can do more about trafficking in their community.
If you have not yet seen The Sound of Freedom, please go support it in theaters. It’s hard to watch but it’s something precious and beautiful as well. If you have seen it already, consider paying it forward and buying tickets for someone who might not be able to watch it.
It is my hope that The Sound of Freedom opens up this conversation in churches and homes across America and that we can start to take on the battle not only overseas, but here in the States as well.
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