MORE than 400,000 American children are at risk. Sound of Hope: The story of Possum Trot (Cert. 12A) is the true tale of a Black church in remote Texas addressing the situation. It is hard-hitting (literally) about domestic abuse, focusing on rescuing vulnerable young people.
Donna Martin (Nika King) is the headstrong First Lady of Bennett Baptist Church, married to its pastor, W. C. Martin (Demetrius Grosse). Heavily grieving the loss of her mother, Donna feels God’s call to foster some children in addition to their own. Her husband is reluctant to agree. He is as adamant that the Lord is not asking this of them. It is 1996, and, while the Martins can just about cover their outgoings, money is tight. With Donna, it is a matter of my way or the highway. “The less we had,” she says in voice-over, “the more God gave.”
She goes ahead with meeting Susan Ramsey (Elizabeth Mitchell), one of the social workers charged with placing endangered children with stable families. There aren’t enough people offering shelter. This is enough incentive for Donna to convince W. C. to start taking in people, including Terri (the British actor Diaana Babnicova), whom we have previously seen witnessing a horrific family argument. No foster parents have been able to deal with this highly disturbed 12-year-old. The Martins also persuade dozens of their congregation to do likewise with other needy children.
Faith is the key. Rousing sermons and enthusiastic worshippers make it all happen. Even so, there are setbacks. W. C. has to remind the congregation that Jesus had plenty of them. “Sometimes that burden is only light when it is shared,” he tells them. It’s a portrait of Christianity at its best, one where, yes, there is strife, but also reconciliation. In striking contrast, we encounter a white-majority megachurch.
Cap in hand, W. C. visits Pastor Mark (played by the film’s director, Joshua Weigel). His idea of a church outing is a Caribbean cruise. Grudgingly, Mark gives a little help. The parable of the sheep and the goats seems to have escaped his notice. As Donna points out in another context, “Religious guilt don’t mend a broken heart. Love does.”
This a moving film marred only by too much music. It is as if the makers don’t trust the dialogue and narrative to win hearts and minds on their own.
Angel Studios, based in Utah, is in business to promote the kind of film “that inspires and uplifts the world”. It has certainly succeeded with this one. In the process, however, it linked up with a right-wing media group, The Daily Wire, which distributed the film in its cinemas. Letitia Wright, executive producer of the movie, has criticised the company for using it for divisive political purposes. In that respect, Sound of Hope didn’t help itself. While Susan Ramsey does initially point out that most child neglect is poverty-driven, this is never referred to again. In a country where a huge proportion of people are classified as poor, it is a pity that no attention is given to its structural causes. Ken Loach wouldn’t have let this go unheeded.