I was not prepared for what Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot had in store for me when I sat down to watch it. This is a faith-based movie brought to us by Angel Studios and I was told that it was a movie about “saving kids” and the way it was explained to me was that it was uplifting and beautiful.
How to Download Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot
Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot was released on July 4, 2024. You can download or stream the film from Angel.com. Click on the Download button at the end of this review and make your choice. If you like films by Angel Studios, check out also Sound of Freedom, Cabrini or The Shift.
The Movie Review
A Heartbreaking and Uplifting Journey
While the movie is certainly uplifting and beautiful in places, it is also brutally heartbreaking as it deals with the hardships of the foster system and the horrors and abuse that some kids go through. This movie broke my heart with the way that it deals with abuse. It is not super graphic where you see it all happening, but the way it is explained and showcased does not hold back at all. I applaud them for this as it is a horrible subject and something that should not be sugar-coated, even if it does make you feel uncomfortable.
The True Story Behind the Film
Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot is actually based on a true story, but I was ignorant of that coming in. It is the story of Donna and Reverand Martin and their quest to get their small Texas town to adopt 77 kids! They try to do this through their church and these are kids that have been hard to house and the way the movie goes about this is done is a very real manner. From the kids and their issues to the families that have troubles and issues before the kids get there.
The Challenges of Foster Families
The kids and the families adjusting to each other is a huge part of the movie and the movie does not hold back in showing that this is not easy for foster kids and parents to deal with. The movie is a “faith-based” movie, but it is not over the top or in your face. It is more about having a good message of getting people to step up and offer help rather than just talking about it and saying that you wish it could.
Standout Performances
Demetrius Grosse as Reverend Martin is fantastic in this role. The way he is such a strong character and is there to offer help and guidance to the kids and family was very well done. Nika King plays Donna Martin and she is such a great character. You can tell that she well and truly wants to do what is best for these kids and if she could take them all in herself, she would in a heartbeat.
What initially drew me to Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot was that Elizabeth Mitchell was in the movie and she is an actress that I am a huge fan of. She is great do not get me wrong, but it was the other actors who stole the show. Young Diaana Babnicova plays one of the kids, Terri, and she delivers a tremendous, powerful, and emotional performance that will surely stick with you for a while.
A Minor Flaw: Too Many Characters?
The only real issue that I had with the movie was that there were so many kids who needed help, I did feel that some of them kind of got lost in the shuffle and were not as well developed. Look to be fair, how the heck were they going to give all the kids time to shine? Yet, with that being said, I do think that they could have just really focused on a couple more of them so that you connected with them a bit more. To be fair, this could be just me and I am being way too harsh.
Final Thoughts on Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot
I was very, very impressed by Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot. I have been impressed by what I have seen from Angel Studios so far and I will probably check out whatever it is they have coming out next. This is a very powerful and emotional movie, be sure to have a box of tissues next to you for this one and maybe something fun and lighthearted lined up for your next movie night as this can be brutal in places, but it does end on a message of hope and love.
