Are you looking for a good movie for a date night; a good, family-friendly movie for you and your teens?; or a movie with a positive adoption theme? While there seems to be a shortage of adoption-themed movies in the US, if you look hard enough, you can find some.
Hollywood used to use the word adoption as a derogatory plot point. However, media is getting more positive and more realistic in their portrayals of adoptive families. In the past, it wasn’t uncommon to see adoptees portrayed as mentally ill, possessed or hunted down and kidnapped by their birth parents. The Child Welfare System was also misrepresented with the assumption that the US still has orphanages or highly unethical practices. These sensational portrayals of adoption do not encourage the public at large to be accurately educated about adoption.
Lately, we have seen positive portrayals of adoptive families on TV, such as This is Us. The big screen is following suit with its positivity. I believe the following adoption-themed movies to be very positive, mostly based on real-life stories, and are very realistic. The bottom line is that these movies portray the fact that adoption is not easy and is a lifelong learning curve. These movies encourage the thought of adoption and inspire the public to find out more about adoption. The families in these films are down-to-earth, relatable, and kind. The kids are lovable. After watching these movies, the general public could have the feeling, “I can do this!”
Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot, 2024, PG-13
Starring Nika King and Demetrius Grosse, directed by Joshua Weigel
This intense drama follows the true story of an African American family who takes a leap of faith and inspires their church to adopt children in their county from the foster care system. The real-life philosophy of this family is: “One church, one child.” This means, that if every church in America made the effort to adopt one child, they could empty the need for foster care. By the time they were done, the whole church had adopted 77 children, leaving no more foster children without a home in their county.
SPOILER ALERT
Sound of Hope is a great movie that is an inspiration to all Americans, regardless of race. If you are considering adoption, let this couple inspire you to take a leap of faith. One of the most inspiring scenes was when one adoptive mom was at her wit’s end and felt like giving up on adoption. However, her support system gathers around her to physically and emotionally support her. She knew she was not alone and that someone had her back. It was quite an emotional scene.
Lifemark, 2022, PG-13
Starring Kirk Cameron and Alex Kendrick, directed by Kevin Peeples.
This underrated movie follows the adoption triad of 18-year-old adoptee, David Colton; his adoptive parents, Susan and Jimmy Colton; and his birth mom, Melissa Cates. The movie is very sympathetic towards the birth mom and portrays her as one of the heroes. It follows Melissa’s story and her decision-making process. The movie lets people know that placing a child for adoption is not an easy decision, it’s a courageous one. This film uses some pretty neat technology and does a decent job of sharing each person’s perspective of adoption.
Instant Family, 2018, PG-13
Starring Mark Wahlberg and Rose Byrne, directed by Sean Anders.
This is a hilarious comedy that focuses on a young couple who want to adopt from foster care. This critically acclaimed movie focuses on the issues of sibling adoption, supervised visitation with the birth family, and behaviors of foster children caused by trauma. The training and foster care licensing portions of the movie are both realistic and hilarious at the same time. This film pulls no punches and prepares a family to foster while using humor to soften the blow of foster and adoption issues. The movie especially focuses on the adoptive father’s decision-making process and the joy and fulfillment of caring for a kid not his own. The movie also focuses on mentoring.
October Baby, 2011, PG-13
Starring John Schneider and Rachel Hendrix, directed by the Erwin Brothers.
Based on the real-life story of Gianna Jessen, this heartwarming tale follows 20-year-old Rachel who finds out, quite unceremoniously, that she was adopted as an infant. This revelation propels her on a journey to find her birth mother. She learns a lot about life and about herself during this journey. She realizes that adoption reunions are not all that they are cracked up to be.
Bella, 2006, PG-13
Starring Tammy Blanchard and Eduardo Verastegui, directed by Alejandro Monteverde
This gritty, beautiful drama is set against the backdrop of energetic and vivacious New York City. It follows a day in the life of a young lady and a young man who both get fired from the same job on the same day. It focuses on Tammy, who, within hours of finding out she is pregnant, gets fired. These two young people share painful secrets that no one else knows about. Some scenes are difficult to watch and not suitable for young children, but fine for teens.
Here is my message to Hollywood: adoption does not cause children to have behavior issues. Adoptees who struggle with behavior regulation may have struggled with them long before being adopted due to trauma. Their struggles are no fault of their own, sometimes they are merely trying to survive. It is adoptive parents who accept the risk and responsibility of helping a child to heal. It is they who sacrifice by staying up long nights, who balance relationships with biological family, who take kids to counseling, and who show unconditional love endlessly.
