I’m not going to lie; I thought the movie October Baby was going to be another one of those movies that I’d be embarrassed about as a Catholic.
Not that I’m ashamed of proclaiming my faith, but I was worried about how the movie would portray such a sensitive topic such as abortion. It’s hard enough to defend life in person and I didn’t think a movie could do it without coming across as unrelatable, especially because the audience is filled with people whose views oppose each other.
Maybe my attitude going in wasn’t the best, I’ll admit. I tend to be picky about the movies I watch; I guess you could call me a pre-movie pessimist. I just couldn’t imagine that a film could relay what we know as Catholics (that every life has dignity from the moment of conception) and be entertaining.
Not only did this movie meet my expectations, but it also exceeded them! It didn’t waver from truth in hopes to be more widely accepted. It even didn’t shy away from the hard topics surrounding abortion, specifically the effects on the post-abortive mother like I thought it would.
While watching the movie, I couldn’t help but be drawn into the story. The main character, after finding out that she was a survivor of a failed abortion, goes on a journey to discover who she is.
I was blown away by the honesty and raw emotion in the movie. What makes this movie great is that you go on a journey with the characters. You can feel the hurt, the confusion, the pain; but you can also feel the redemption that comes with forgiveness. I couldn’t help but be sympathetic to every character. The most moving aspects of the film were the scenes with the post-abortive mother and her adopted father. This was a story of forgiveness and redemption, yet it did not come across as “churchy.”
After seeing the movie, the people in the theatre — with tearstains down their cheeks — stuck around to talk about the movie. It seemed like everyone could relate to a specific character, or part of a character’s struggle. Those that have had a first hand experience of the pain that abortion brings could relate to the post-abortive mother. Those that have struggled letting their children grow up could relate to the father. The dynamic between the main character and her male best friend related to those in dating relationships. Every young person could relate to the main character’s search for who she was. Every character in the movie had a dynamic personality that allowed the audience to journey with them towards forgiveness and redemption. There is no denial that this movie, and the producers who made it, understood the effect that the story would have on the audience.
Truth moves hearts, and this movie has left an imprint on my heart that will constantly remind me of the freedom that only forgiveness can bring.
