Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot Parent Guide

Overwhelmed with grief after the death of her mother, Donna Martin (Nika King) sinks into depression. As she calls upon God for deliverance, she hears Him tell her to adopt children and love them as her mother loved her. Her husband, Reverend W.C. Martin (Demetrius Grosse) is initially appalled, but as he becomes aware of the frightful experiences suffered by children in the Texas foster care system, he comes on board. The Martins, who already have two biological children (including one with intellectual disabilities), end up adopting four foster children. More remarkably, in the late 1990s, 22 families in Reverend Martin’s small church in the tiny town of Possum Trot, take in 77 of the most hard-to-place children from the child welfare system.

The story of Possum Trot is an inspirational one, but the uplift comes at a price. The children who come to the welcoming families have been severely abused and traumatized. The horrific events of their young lives have scarred their bodies and minds and many of them don’t know how to trust, express emotions, or process their trauma. For the adults in Reverend Martin’s church, parenting these children is far more agonizing than they expected.

It’s here that Sound of Hope becomes more than a feel-good adoption story. As the families suffer and the Martins are driven to the breaking point, Reverend Martin prays for aid and calls on the strength of the church community to support all who struggle. From the pulpit, he reminds his congregation, “If we believe the Bible, we ought to bear their burden. That burden only be light if it’s shared.” As his little flock reach out to one another, pray together, weep together, and share meals and strength and love, they truly become a congregation of the believers. In fact, I think this movie is one of the finest depictions I’ve ever seen of Christianity in practice, and it is a necessary counterbalance to the contentious Christianity of the culture wars that so often parades across our TV screens.

Inspiring as this story is, it is also raw, and as such it comes with PG-13 levels of negative content. Parents should note that we see photos of children who have been beaten and burned and are told about children who have been pimped, raped, and murdered. There are some physical altercations between kids and even involving adults. Because some of the children have been sexually abused, it’s also not surprising that they act out. There is a disturbing scene (most of which occurs off camera) in which a young teenage girl is implied to have consensual sex with a fellow student in a bathroom stall. She’s later seen shaking and crying.

The negative content might be disturbing for some viewers, but I still highly recommend Sound of Hope for teen and adult viewers. This is a powerful story of simple goodness; of people who walk the talk and live their faith at great personal sacrifice. It’s a reminder that our society’s greatest heroes are those who seek those who suffer and reach out in compassion and love. When the Martins ask to take difficult children, a conscientious social worker (Elizabeth Mitchell) gently tells them that “Religious guilt can’t fix a broken child’s heart.” To which Donna responds, “Love can.” And that’s the greatest message of this film: that love has the power to heal souls, to nourish families, and to bind together communities. I can’t think of a message that’s better for our kids to hear.