Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot

UPCOMING JUNETEENTH PREVIEW! From Angel Studios came last year’s hit, Sound of Freedom, which destroyed Indiana Jones at the box office. This year, we have the next story in the anthology, Joshua Weigel’s Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot. Don’t worry. It’s not as heavy as Sound of Freedom.

The true story of Sound of Hope takes us to the town of Possum Trot in East Texas, where we find a couple: Bishop Martin (Demetrius Grosse) and his wife, Donna (Nika King). The couple have two children of their own, with their youngest son with a developmental disorder. One day, the Lord lays on Donna’s heart that she should have another child through adoption. It’s a bit crazy, but Bishop agrees to let her start the process.

Upon meeting social worker Susan Ramsey (Elizabeth Mitchell), she encouraged Donna to consider taking in foster children instead. The majority of kids in the system may never be reunited with their parents due to abuse and safety issues. Bishop and Donna decide they are going to take the most challenging cases. One of them is an older teen, Terri (Dianna Babnicova), who acts like a cat as her defense mechanism. Her abuse runs deep, and connecting with Terri is virtually impossible.

Realizing that there are more children in the system than they can handle, Bishop Martin preaches a message encouraging his congregation to open their hearts to children in the system and become foster parents.

The Story of Possum Trot is truly a story of hope. It’s a story so grand that it almost feels like fiction. While the film sets the Martins up as heroes for taking in troubled kids, the journey they take is paved with one obstacle after the other.

“…encourages Donna to consider taking in foster children…Bishop and Donna decide they are going to take the toughest cases.”

The biggest problem foster parents face is connecting with kids, who, in some cases, are asked to replace their parents with new ones. The children and teens also have trauma to deal with, requiring therapy. Foster parents are asked to bring love and structure into their lives.

Much of Sound of Hope serves as an open book on being foster parents. There’s no sugarcoating the process in any way. It’s not easy and requires more work than a check from the government can provide. With patience, the rewards are priceless.

As an adoptive parent myself, I’m very familiar with the world of adoption and foster care. Sound of Hope covers a lot of ground, sowing the seeds of miracles along the way. Though the film has decidedly a religious tone, the story doesn’t feel overly religious. God plays a vital role in giving strength and much-needed wisdom to the Martins.

Nika King and Demetrius Grosse are perfect as the Martins. Both give such grounded performances that we could quickly put ourselves in their shoes. As much as they are superheroes, they are not portrayed as superheroes. I think that’s the point. As much as the Martin followed God’s admirable call, so could you and I.

Writer/director Joshua Weigel and his spouse/co-writer Rebekah Weigel turn a heavy message-based movie into an enjoyable and educational story that inspires. When was the last time you felt inspired? It’s weird to say that goodness doesn’t always motivate us to head to the theaters, but consider it with Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot.

Not to spoil the ending, but thanks to the real-life Martins and the Possum Trot community, social services ran out of children. Won’t you answer the call and be the “sound of hope” for a child caught in the system in your community? Or at least watch a film about extraordinary…ordinary people.