Voiceless

Jesse Dean (Rusty Joiner: Last Ounce of Courage, Dodgeball, Days of Our Lives), a recently discharged soldier and his wife, wife Julia (Jocelyn Cruz: Strike One, This Is Our Time) move to Philadelphia when he takes a job as the outreach leader in the church Julia attended before their marriage. Jesse was not a Christian before meeting Julia, but has fully embraced his new faith and eager to share it with others.

Jesse gets a great start with connecting with his new community, but the presence of an abortion clinic across the street, and encounters with 2 different women who talk to him regarding decisions of whether or not to have an abortion have a tremendous impact on him. The pastor, church members, families of the pregnant women, the police, and even his wife, advise him to back off before he lands in jail.

Despite opposition, Jesse feel compelled to take action on his conviction to be a voice for the Voiceless and talk to those considering entering the abortion clinic. Being supportive of the women whose decision to let their child live is another important step he considers vital after an initial reluctance ends in tragedy. Help comes from a reluctant source--- a neighbor (Susan Moses) becomes a staunch supporter, even as his wife battles her own insecurities and painful memories.

The winner of multiple awards, Voiceless has been honored as Northeast Film Festival’s Best Feature and People’s Choice for Best Feature Film and Best Feature Film from the California Independent Film Festival. Comedian Paul Rodriguez also stars as Virgil with James Russo as Pastor Gil. Written and directed by Pat Necerato, the film is rated PG-13 for thematic material and some violence. Voiceless will be coming to theaters on October 7, 2016. For more information and to see which theaters will have screenings, visit their website: Voicelessthemovie.com

Many thanks to Icon Media Group for allowing me to see Voiceless in advance of the theater release for review purposes. They only required an honest review. I am sharing my thoughts below:

Voiceless is a very well made film that not only touches on the controversial subject of abortion, but also on taking a stand and remaining firm on your convictions. Of course the story is told from a pro-life point of view, but it clearly shows that even Christians have mixed views on the subject and whether or not they should personally be involved. Elements that I loved were that the entire focus was not only on the unborn child. Many of the people who are in favor of abortion throw out a criticism that pro-lifers are only concerned with the "fetus." (While I don't find that true among the people I know, I do concede that there are people who are unsupportive of the women who choose to give birth, and even the children themselves as they age.) Jesse's total involvement and commitment to help the women who chose Life and his encouragement to others to get involved---to be the "Hands and Feet of Jesus" is an aspect of the film that touched me deeply, and I hope encourages other viewers to walk farther with the women who have more decisions to make after the one to not abort. A helping hand is more than just a hand out. 'Miss Elsie' (Susan Moses) was one of my favorite characters in the film. Jesse and Julia cranky neighbor secretly had a heart of gold and more courage than many as she also makes a decision whether to remain an outsider or get involved with others. 

Honestly, I loved all of the characters in the film (and the actors who portrayed them), since even the ones whose views differed from mine added layers to the film. We get so angry at those who disagree with us or who chose to remain uninvolved that we often fail to see from their perspective. While I remain as adamantly pro-life as ever, I did see how a pro-choice person could reach a different conclusion than me. That small common point can be the talking point (as opposed to the screaming point) that opens a conversation. 

The downside for me was that the film leaned more toward the typical "Christian movie" ending. Not as bad as many, but that may just be me. I do see that it would serve the purpose more...which is to encourage more Christians to get up, get out, get involved, and make a difference. I can't really complain about that. 

The film is going to be in a limited run, but you can check with the website to see if you could bring it to your area; More theaters are being added. If you can, I recommend you go see it. When it comes out on DVD, Buy Voiceless. Whether you are pro, anti, or indifferent about abortion, the movie will show that there is more to the story and that sitting back and ignoring the issue is not the answer.