Hollywood rarely produces morally sound, emotionally moving, intricate, and exciting plots. In partnership with DailyWire, Angel Studios filled that gaping hole with a well-produced, convicting, and extraordinary real-life story, Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot, that should inspire us to act for the most innocent among us, specifically the foster care system, regardless of religious, political, or abortion belief system.  

However, it is indeed a call to the pro-life movement to continue to extend our care and compassion to not just the preborn but also children in the foster care system, who are deserving and in need of a nurturing nuclear family. Upon seeing this film not once but twice, I see this movie’s magnetic power to be Angel Studios’ next Sound of Freedom, and for good reason.   

Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot is Angel Studios’ newest theatrical release, following in the footprints of Sound of Freedom (2023), based on a true story regarding anti-human trafficking, along with Cabrini and Sight. Like many preceding films from the same distributor, Sound of Hope significantly progresses in bringing an American underdog story to the big screen. This time, foster families are the ones who are center stage. 

As the movie’s synopsis states, “Donna and Reverend Martin…ignite a fire in the hearts of their rural church to embrace kids in the foster system that nobody else would take. By doing the impossible–adopting 77 children–this East Texas community proved that, with real, determined love, the battle for America’s most vulnerable can be won.” 

The Martin family is the typical Texas pastoral family. Donna and Martin live comfortably until they discover all the children in foster care who are deemed “undesirable” or never make it into foster homes. In a selfless act, they go beyond fostering in their local community: they adopt multiple children from broken situations, which becomes a more significant challenge than initially anticipated. First, they welcome a young boy and a girl, who they quickly discover have trauma that teaches the couple patience, perseverance, and unconditional love. Then, a teenage girl named Terri challenged and blessed them in unexpected ways. 

The film primarily narrates through the eyes of the matriarch, Donna, and foster teen, Terri. It’s through this duality that its true impact is born. Terri’s story is one of brokenness, trauma, and distrust. The film doesn’t sugarcoat the difficulties and “throw in the towel” moments when adopting and caring for children. Throughout the film, Terri and the family bump heads, reconcile, learn, and then bump heads again. Just as there seems to be a turning point, Terri and her new family become acquainted with how much further they must go to make their family thrive. Along the way, Terri must learn to share, forgive, and give the Martins a chance. And any family, born or blended, can relate to this in one way or another.  

This film is gritty and eye-opening, and it reminds us of the pro-life movement that no child is a lost cause before or after they’re born. If the town of Possum Trot, Texas, could go on to adopt 76 foster youth between the years of 1996-2013, families pro-life, and even pro-choice families, can make a difference in the lives of foster children. As of 2024, there are 391,000 children (about half the population of Delaware) in the foster care system, and 21,000 children (about the seating capacity of Madison Square Garden) a year age out of the system without ever having a permanent home.  

We don’t have to sit idling by and watch it happen.  

Americans have already made significant strides, as reported by the Administration of Children and Families that “The number of children in foster care for Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 decreased by nearly six percent compared to FY 2021, which is a greater decrease than that of FY 2021’s nearly four percent decrease relative to FY 2020. The number of children in foster care at the end of FY 2022 was 368,500, compared to 392,000 children in foster care at the end of FY 2021.”  

Still, there are only 208,823 licensed foster homes in the United States.  

The Pro-Life Generation can continue to defend life in and outside the womb and allow stories like Angel Studios’ new movie, Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot, to inspire us towards bold, countercultural action for the most vulnerable and in need of our care and support.

See Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot through Students for Life of America’s (SFLA) affiliate link and get 10% off your ticket PLUS 10% of the ticket cost will go towards SFLA! 

In theaters Thursday, July 4. Tickets are available at https://angel.com/sfla. 

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