Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot Review
Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot (2024) Film Review, a movie directed by Joshua Weigel, written by Rebekah Weigel and Joshua Weigel and starring Nika King, Demetrius Grosse, Diaana Babnicova, Elizabeth Mitchell, Kaysi J. Bradley, Jillian Reeves, Della Golden, Aria Jennai Pulliam, Asher Liam Clay, Taj Johnson, Rose Person, Jacinte Blankenship, Demián Castro, Lisha Wheeler, Roscoe Johnson, Sandra Jarrett, Rena Canady-Laster and Joshua Weigel.
Angel Studios magically puts together movies that can sneak under the average movie-goer’s radar. Director Joshua Weigel’s important and triumphant film, Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot takes a story based on reality and creates some of the most earnest and heartfelt scenes you’ll see at the movies this year. Weigel’s movie is anchored by three performances that make it all worthwhile. Nika King and Demetrius Grosse portray Donna and Reverend WC Martin, a loving couple who take on the responsibilities of caring for some new children, including a troubled, abused girl named Terri who is played by Diaana Babnicova. King, Grosse and Babnicova are the pieces to the puzzle that help make us understand the complex themes found in the picture. Set in a small part of Texas, Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot is as close you’ll come to an emotionally charged picture this summer and the film is truly worth the investment whether you can help other children in need or not.
The film opens with showing us the fantastic Della Gordon’s mother character, Murtha’s impact on Donna. Murtha has made a life where taking care of many children has been her priority. Donna has just two kids with WC: Ladonna (Kaysi J. Bradley) and the disabled Princeton (Taj Johnson). Murtha believes Donna is just getting started with her child raising right before Murtha dies an untimely death.
Though Princeton requires a great deal of patience, the central family in the picture is a loving unit which cares deeply for one another. We meet a woman named Susan (Elizabeth Mitchell) who places children who have lost their families in homes. There are a number of reasons kids get displaced. One disturbing scene has a young kid named Mercedes (Aria Jennai Pulliam) calling the authorities from a bathtub as her primary parent is gunned down right in the next room. Susan has a lot of kids who need homes but not enough people to take on the responsibility of raising a child which is not their own.
The movie is particularly strong dealing with the realities of WC’s life as he struggles to make ends meet as the bills get more difficult to pay. Demetrius Grosse is excellent. His character struggles to maintain normalcy when Terri proves to be frustrating to deal with. Susan warns Donna and WC that taking in Terri might be a failure for them. Terri seems to be too far gone because of the abuses she withstood. Also, Terri goes around acting like a cat at random intervals and WC decides to feed her like one to help her change her tune at one point in the film.
A lot of the church scenes here that give many of the characters here their moral compasses are powerful. They shed light on the way every day people struggle and do what they must to help those In need with little or no rewards except for the feeling of happiness that comes from seeing a child be happy. One great scene has WC asking for financial help from a man who doesn’t seem to have true compassion. But, this man does actually understand WC’s dilemma. He takes from his own pocket to pay WC to take care of those in need as this person cannot take from the budget itself. This scene is proof that people in high places care but must be reminded of the delicate situations that surround things they know little about.
Nika King as Donna is amazing. She is given some very difficult scenes and we never stray from her as a character. Even if she says or does the wrong thing, her humanity is captured so strongly by King as an actress that we see Donna’s side even if we don’t agree with it every single time throughout the duration of the movie. King’s performance is one of great integrity and she sometimes keeps our faith in the material the film presents intact thanks to the delicate and emotional acting she displays on-screen.
Babnicova, as Terri, almost steals the film with a layered piece of acting that displays the character transformation of Terri to perfection. Terri is hard to like but Babnicova plays her in such a way that we never lose hope that she can change if Donna and WC can just get through to her. Terri struggles with her difficulties that have come from her frustrating past and she steals her foster mom’s car at one point. Babnicova definitely had a strong presence in this movie which is one of its many highlights. The viewer will stay beside Terri every step of the way.
Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot could feel preachy but it’s a movie that packs a wallop. It’s a tearjerker full of depth. Another movie may have taken the events of this film and resolved the dilemmas quickly. This movie knows that these problems the characters face cannot be solved so fast. It thoroughly develops the situations it presents and makes the viewer 100% invested in the material. That is not an easy feat.
To say I loved Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot would be a true statement. There are problems with the movie from a cinematic standpoint but like all strong dramas, one can overcome them and forget about them to focus on the importance of the material at-hand and the terrific screen presence of the performers. The movie may be too long and Susan could have had more screen time but this film is a gem that shouldn’t get lost in the summer movie shuffle. It’s so moving you’ll want to tell everybody about it, just in case someone you know could make a difference. This film certainly will.
Rating: 8.5/10
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