The Drop Box

At any given moment somewhere in the world, a mother will abandon her child. There are any number of reasons why this happens, but the end result is tragic, as unwanted infants and newborns are ditched in the street and left to die. In South Korea, over 200 infants were abandoned all over Seoul in 2013. In the absence of any kind of government-run method for accommodating these lost babies, one pastor takes it upon himself to set up a "drop box" for people to leave their unwanted babies, and he takes it from there.

This is definitely news-worthy subject matter that deserves awareness and debate. Controversy exists regarding the morality and responsibility of parents utilizing this system, but the film doesn't spend much time exploring that. The film's focus is simply on the fact that a baby drop box exists, and the film divulges into a more intimate look at pastor Lee Jong-rak and the 15 children he's taken in (among the hundreds he received through the drop box, which are passed to social services). It is quite the sentimental presentation that will flash nonstop baby pictures at you with sappy music in an effort to reach into your chest and yank your heartstrings. However, the film is not all fluff; it does take the time to expose the cold hard truth that mothers have all sorts of reasons to abandon their children (to include social or cultural pressure, which is briefly touched upon), and these children need help to survive. A lot of the children that are abandoned are disabled, and their deformities are shown on-screen to really emphasize their need for attention. Some of the stories that the people tell are pretty rough, and it adds significant emotional weight to the issue.

The film's structure is somewhat random, intermixing stories of pastor Lee, the children, the larger issue, and other aspects together without a specific pattern. Really, the drop box in itself isn't much of a story; it's the human element that makes it stand out, and the film captures it and uses it to emphasize a key Christian message: the idea that all life has a purpose, and deserves to be preserved. The film even goes to far as divulging into how the various saved children are progressing through life, subtly suggesting that even abandoned children can be happy and have a future. One can't help but to admire pastor Lee for his efforts in spite of this (and thankfully, the Christian message is not all that overbearing, even though the sentimentality is).

The film is pretty straightforward. There are a lot of tight close-ups of all the kids' faces. Some shots can be rather herky-jerky and some were out of focus, but most of the film looks okay. Editing is pretty decent; images are cut up effectively to help convey the subject matter well. There are some cheap animated segments that are cute, but ultimately unnecessary. The film itself isn't necessarily groundbreaking, but it gets the job done.

I would say that the film is worthwhile for bringing up awareness of the issue on a wider scale and possibly bringing up talking points. However, the film is most interested in putting human faces on all this, making it emotionally manipulative. I personally would have been more interested in a greater exploration of the social and moral implications of the drop box's usage. If you don't see this film being played at churches or schools or anything, it may be worth a look as a rental sometime (or you could just start reading up on it).

3/5 (Experience: Mixed | Content: Pretty Good | Film: Average)

A documentary isn't always about the "presentation" it's also about the story it tells. So you giving this movie a 1 star tells me you're just a hater. If you gave it a 5 I would of have taken your review in consideration, but seriously 1 star.

I knew about this pastor for many years and he and his wife are truly amazing people. They save unwanted babies with a question, doesn't that deserve at least 3 stars just for the story. What is wrong with you? Wow. Someone's got no empathy.

The reason no one in the audience clapped is because they were in awe. I'm sure the sighs were from yourself and your friends who critique simply things like camera angles and background music and not the story.

I gave this an 8 because I value what they are trying to accomplish where society has faltered. Wish there was more coverage of how much their society teaches it's youth about abstinence and contraception as well as the value of life. There is not enough of a system in place to properly take care of the children long enough to get adopted, let alone those who are more special;Maybe because of a poor tax base or greed taking it in instead of proper distribution for society's needs.

It's a wonderful thing that we have the internet to spread the word that certain countries need help, but you'd think that especially the poorer countries would provide more sex education. Having to write a minimum of this many lines encourages redundancy.

This documentary was so heartbreaking and inspiring. the work this man and his family does is so amazing. He is changing children's lives and I hope he inspires others to adopt children and help children. This is a must see documentary. Even for people who aren't Christian this is a great and inspiring documentary to watch.

I have never been so touched and moved by a film quite like I have by The Drop Box. It is comforting to know there are amazing people out there that gives us all hope and reason. It touches on a topic that many do not discuss, nor have any knowledge about. I did not know about this controversial issue until I watched this film. Pastor Lee and everyone involved helping him raise his children are the true teachers in life, including the children themselves! This is a MUST-SEE film that is truly inspirational. I wish everyone could be as altruistic, unselfish, kind, and benevolent as all the characters are that take part in this amazing movie.