October Baby

This is an emotionally moving film that is entertaining for all ages. As the mother of three adopted children,I think this film is a must-see for all that want to understand more about the heart-ripping journey that all adopted children must take as they come to terms with being rejected by one family and wanted by another. It is subtle in its Christian message, but strong with the theme of unconditional love and forgiveness. The acting, directing, and producing is SUPERB, and it does not look like a film that skimped on budget in any of these areas. There was not a "dry eye in the house" because all ages were touched by this hurting teenager searching for meaning to her life. We have all been there. Please encourage others to see this movie so that it will be shown in more theaters across the country. THIS is the kind of movie that America is longing for.

Most faith-based funded "indie" movies I find are cheesy, a little preachy, and lacks flow. I find this movie to be an exception and it was thoroughly enjoyable to watch. I did find myself pre-judging the film, but Jasmine Guy's (the nurse) performance is superb and convinced me otherwise along w/ the main character who also made it believable if not lovable. Making a movie is an Art and for such a string budget (it would be unfair to judge it w/ huge budgeted Hollywood films). Nevertheless, it's greatly crafted. As someone w/ a buddhist and confucian background, my outlook is a from a different angle favoring this movie in how it conveys the perpetual cycle of cause and effects. In this case, suffering and self-hatred in need of healing and forgiveness. The film is classy in a sense that it does not condemn or vilify the characters it contrast. It's not good guys vs. bad guys. With that said, no matter what beliefs one prescribes to, I hope viewers will not condemn the film's work w/ pre-conceived prejudices just because it challenges their ideas.

¨I have so many unanswered questions, questions I feel but can't even begin to speak because there are no words to express them.¨

October Baby is a Christian faith based film about the power of forgiveness. Despite the fact that many consider this to be a pro-life film, the message is rather a different one. It's not judgmental in any way, and takes a much lighter approach. The film focuses on a teenage girl and her struggle to find answers as to why she feels rejected. October Baby has the classic sermonizing moment near the end of the film that all Christian based moves have, and that may lead people to criticize this film, but it does get a graceful message across without being judgmental. Despite being preachy and melodramatic it has an interesting story and a strong performance from first timer Rachel Hendrix. She is beautiful, talented, and has the looks of a star if she can get over the Kristen Stewart lip biting thing. I don't tend to criticize movies based on their values, I do it based on the artistic approach and I think this film succeeds as a decent teen romantic drama. Some people may criticize this simply because they don't agree with its overall message, and others perhaps might find this film a little too amateur for their taste. Despite the clichés there are several funny and touching scenes delivered strongly by this relatively unknown cast. October Baby was co-directed and written by Andrew and Jon Erwin with some beautiful scenes trying to convey their message about the beauty of life. Despite all the melodrama the film does ring true at times considering we all remember how dramatic our life was when we were teenagers and were searching for the meaning of life. There is turmoil and strong emotions going on that now that we are much older and mature know how to deal with it differently.

The film focuses on Hannah (Rachel Hendrix), a nineteen year old girl suffering from seizures and asthma attacks. During a drama performance in school she passes out and awakens in the hospital where the doctors tell her that her illness has to do with her difficult birth. Here she discovers that her parents, Jacob (John Schneider) and Grace (Jennifer Price), aren't really her birth parents and that she was adopted by them after her young mother had a failed abortion attempt. Hannah is upset that her parents never told her the truth and decides to go on a road trip to see if she can contact her real mother. She enlists the help of her best friend Jason (Jason Burkey) and together with some other classmates they embark on a road trip. Hannah ends up making some revealing discoveries along the way that impact and change her life forever. Could her life have meaning despite all the terrible details about her birth? There is still beauty in the midst of brokenness and the only way to reach it is by letting go and forgiving.

Despite the terrible reviews this film has received from critics it still has a better rottentomato score than most other films in theaters right now (Hansel and Gretel, Identity Theft, Safe Haven, and the new Die Hard film) and it was much cheaper to produce. Audiences seem to enjoy this film however and I can see why since the message is uplifting. The film does look like a music video at times with the soundtrack paraphrasing the story at times and the beautiful scenery in the background. Chris Sligh has a couple of songs in the film and he also has a supporting role as the driver in the friendly road trip. The film can feel like a Lifetime movie at times, but Rachel Hendrix 's performance stands out and lifts this movie to a higher ground. Her chemistry with Jason Burkey felt authentic and the romanticism never felt sappy. This is a feel good movie that despite being preachy never feels like if the directors are trying to force their faith on the viewers. They are simply sending out a message about the beauty of life and the power of forgiveness. I honestly enjoyed this movie and would watch it again. This is a family friendly film.

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I highly recommend this film. It is unique and relevant, especially today when Hollywood seems to be simply telling the same stories over and over again in different ways with different actors. This is a movie I'll see again and one that I will own when it's available on DVD. The message of this film is powerful, even life-changing. An eye opener for some, and healing for others perhaps. The quality of production was top notch. The acting was wonderful, not only from the familiar faces but also from the newcomers to the big screen. I understand why the movie is PG-13, but it's certainly not rated that due to inappropriate material, it's due to the more mature story line. I would recommend this film to anyone, we were very impressed.

I am so glad we went to see this movie last night. I have no personal history with either abortion or adoption, and this movie let me see into the real world of both of these experiences. The good, the bad, and the ugly. The acting was phenomenal. I loved seeing familiar faces from back in the day - Bo Duke from Dukes of Hazzard and Whitley from It's a Different World. Chris Sligh from American Idol was really funny; my husband and I were laughing out loud. Who knew he had an amazing voice and could act so well too? I personally would not take my children to see this movie, but it would be appropriate for anyone older than 12, in my opinion. I wish they would make more movies like this one in Hollywood. Finally something different from the usual story lines. It's refreshing! I will definitely be buying this movie when it comes out on DVD. It's life-changing. It reminded me to appreciate my parents and family.