A cinematically gorgeous and highly respectful film about the complex history of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Music is lush, beautiful, and moving--perfect for its subject. My husband and I really enjoyed the artistic device of having early Adventist J. N. Andrews telling the story to his children on a ship heading to Europe, where he became the church's first overseas missionary. I had not realized he was a widower at the time. My husband and I learned many things we had not known about our church in this movie, and it has piqued our interest to learn more.
Not only that, but we found the production quality of this film to be superb for a movie not out of Hollywood. The only regrettable thing was that, in our theater, the Regal Edwards in Ontario, CA, before the actual movie, they showed trailer after trailer--a full 30 minutes' worth--of nightmarishly violent, gory, despicable films you would never want to see yourself, let alone your children to see. It made me wonder whether the theater manager had it in for Christians, or if there really are that many horrific films being made today. And enough people to watch them. What kind of society have we become?
Here's the thing: Some of the characters in "The Hopeful" not only foresaw this from the mid-1800s, they wrote about how the story ends. It will be a wonderful ending!
Not only that, but we found the production quality of this film to be superb for a movie not out of Hollywood. The only regrettable thing was that, in our theater, the Regal Edwards in Ontario, CA, before the actual movie, they showed trailer after trailer--a full 30 minutes' worth--of nightmarishly violent, gory, despicable films you would never want to see yourself, let alone your children to see. It made me wonder whether the theater manager had it in for Christians, or if there really are that many horrific films being made today. And enough people to watch them. What kind of society have we become?
Here's the thing: Some of the characters in "The Hopeful" not only foresaw this from the mid-1800s, they wrote about how the story ends. It will be a wonderful ending!