‘Sound of Freedom’ movie (Review)

sound of freedom movie review

This week we watched the “Sound of Freedom” movie starring Jim Caviezel, and I’m definitely adding it to our list of recommended sex education resources!

To see a review of the actual movie, feel free to read this link to The Lion’s publication:

” ‘Sound of Freedom’ resonates at soul level, could help end human trafficking worldwide”

sound of freedom movie review by The Lion

Tips on sharing this resource

As with all sex education resources, I highly recommend parents review this movie first – both father and mother together, if possible – before sharing with their children.

In the review above, I mention parental discretion and want to highlight it here, especially with the audiovisual component that movies naturally bring to any discussion:

The movie is rated PG-13 because of its heavy subject matter, which includes sexual and drug references, violence and language.

Parents should exercise discretion in determining whether their children are mature enough to handle the intense emotional reactions this movie is likely to cause. But parents are also uniquely equipped to help their children process and understand weighty topics such as these. “

In some of the Christian Facebook groups I belong to, many parents are asking about whether they should let their teenage children see this movie. I’m very torn on this kind of question and want to resist giving a quick “yes/no” type of answer, especially when I don’t know the children and their specific responses to difficult, weighty issues.
Just for context, I still remember my young daughter saying that watching the classic Disney movie Cinderella had been too traumatic for her – especially the scene where the cruel stepsisters start ripping at Cinderella’s beautiful dress for the ball. That astounded me! I had watched the same movie when I had been even younger than my daughter, and I don’t remember its stirring any traumatic memories for me.
That said, I think my daughter was far more emotionally sensitive and imaginative than I was. So based on that feedback, I intentionally delayed sharing some of my favorite childhood movies with her until I thought she was emotionally mature enough to handle them – knowing these movies are make-believe and imaginative, not real.
If your child is 13 or older, again, it depends on how they handle emotionally intense scenes and material. Here’s one quote on this topic that shows the subject matter can be hard even for young adults:
“My 18 year old daughter saw it yesterday and said it was really good, but it was a lot from an emotional standpoint. She said she was crying through most of it and that it was hard to watch sometimes.”
For another perspective, though, see this quote from a mom who took her 16-year-old with her:
“My 16 yo saw it with me. It was not as traumatic I thought it would be.
There is a redeeming in the movie that helps the heaviness. If your child is sensitive no way would i take them.
Everything was implied. Which was tough, but made it easier to digest”

If you don’t think your children are old enough to watch this movie, I still recommend you as the parent should see it! The acting – especially from the children who portray these victims, who number in the millions each year – is superb. I love the movie’s emphasis on united families and unconditional love, contrasted against the horrors of human trafficking.

Even if your children are still in the “Grammar” stage (ages 0-8), you can still talk about how there are modern slaves today even though slavery has been declared illegal, and that many of these slaves are children just like them. In fact, there are more slaves worldwide today than there have ever been throughout the rest of human history. That is shocking and definitely deserves our attention as we all work together to fight this modern-day evil.

I hope this review gives you some fresh insights and inspiration in how to incorporate sex education with your children in a holistic, conversational approach. Let me know if there’s a specific resource you’d like me to review next!

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By Shanxi

Providing the foundation for healthy, lively & even fun (gasp!) discussions of human sexuality from a Biblical perspective. Sex education made simple. Started by homeschool families, for homeschool families.

2 comments

  1. Thank you for this post! I have been seeing a lot about the movie so I appreciate you taking the time to dive into it from a parent’s perspective.

    Reply

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