Echoes of Innocence

This movie is one that will require you to know who Joan of Arc is, so I did have to provide background info to my teen-aged grandchildren. However, when they watched this with me, they found the storyline and action every bit as intriguing as I did. Their perfunctory sighs soon turned to "shhh" whenever anyone spoke. On one hand I did have to explain some of the symbolism to them, but I do believe they would have enjoyed it just as much without my need to turn movies into teachable moments. I thought the acting was very good and the story was one that unfolded at a nice pace. I found it to be a film that not only spoke to a relevant issue for today's teens, but also presented a beautiful allegory to those of us who are Christians. Frankly, I have watched it several times, and I enjoy it more with each viewing. It certainly is a very thought-provoking film and one that I would recommend to others. The fact that the main character Sarah (Sara Simmonds) was not Catholic, yet her spiritual mentor was a Catholic priest (Benjamin Dane) was handled in a sympathetic yet realistic manner. The acting skills of both, plus the rest of the cast, was sheer delight to watch.

Echoes of Innocence is one of the worse movies I've seen in a long time. Not as bad as Broken Flowers (don't go see it), but still bad. Where to begin... Let's start with the good elements. That won't take long. First off, the two lead actors, Sara Simmonds and Jake McDormand, are pretty good. They do a good job of conveying emotions and making the characters sympathetic, despite the completely unrealistic characters they're given to work with. Also, the technical film-making was decent, and there were no major cinematography problems. The soundtrack was good for the movie--it's not too intrusive, but it helps to set the mood.

Now for the bad parts. The acting of every other character in the movie is simply terrible. Sometimes it's so bad it's funny. Alec, the main villain, is horrible. He's so over-the-top evil that you can't take him seriously. Every time he appears, the movie becomes downright laughable. You can't blame the actor entirely, though. The writing was awful, too, so he didn't have a lot to work with. Another example is the overly psychotic mother, who seems to belong in a mental hospital rather than a trailer. Also, the grandmother is unbelievably complacent and mindless. She sits and watches T.V. at all times. Yet, from what the mother says, she's very industrious when it comes to cover-ups.

Beyond the characters, there's also the awful story. I can't say much without spoiling the movie, but there are many horrible flaws in the plot. One major thread is ignored at the end, and the explanations for the entire movie are just stupid. The idea of two twelve-year-olds making this oath is just wrong. Getting married as soon as you possibly can so that you can lose your virginity isn't something the church should support. Saving your virginity may be a good thing--that's not my moral position, but I may be wrong--but pledging to wait only 'til you're 18, and then get married to the first guy you ever liked isn't the right thing to do.

The beginning is awful. The ending is awful. But, there's a good chunk in the middle where you think things might end up OK, and for that, which made it bearable to sit through this movie, I give it a 4 instead of a 1. After all, it couldn't possibly be as bad as Broken Flowers.

Let's be clear on something from the start: this is not a "great" film, not something that is or deserves to be in the canon. Technically speaking, it is fairly amateurish, although for an early low-budget independent effort this crew is fairly competent and I would be happy to see them succeed. The cast is mostly bearable, and big kudos for using actors that actually looked like teenagers in a high school.

"Echoes of Innocence" is not a typical teenage flick along the lines of "Clueless," "10 Things I Hate About You," etc. ad infinitum, and be grateful for that. Our 17-year-old protagonist is a Goth girl saving herself for marriage and nursing an obsession with Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary and St. Joan of Arc. Most people call her "Virge," but she has the self-esteem to take it in stride and so we are spared some of the more agonising scenes of teenage angst.

On the other hand, that is part of the problem. This movie touches on but fails to explore the depth that seems to be underlying these characters and ultimately fails to weave religious and moral struggles into the fabric in a meaningful way. Sarah is an interesting character: she's not a Catholic but she has visions, she recites the prayers, she appears to study the Faith, she apparently believes in the Sacraments (attempting to take Confession, Absolution and Penance) and seeks the counsel of a Catholic priest. So why had she not she attempted conversion? We never get any hint, and so we are never really drawn into her personal journey.

But this is just one example of the film failing to draw out its potential. So many of the characters look like they could be more than stereotypes and our suspicions are just never confirmed. I wonder if perhaps this story reflects an obsession on the part of the scriptwriter and a literary immaturity that hampers its full expression. (I also suspect part of the problem is that this film fails to conceive of the world outside teenybopper suburban America, which is definitely not--proliferation of Young Life ministries aside--a good breeding ground for a deep Faith or culture.) As for the ending... ugh, the completely cheesy and pointless villain sub-plot, the Deux ex Machina.

Kudos for attempting to be uplifting, but shame for taking good, solid literary elements and totally smashing them on the floor. This isn't bad if you've got an extra evening off and want to make it a popcorn-and-Pepsi night, but if you're looking for a good Christian-themed film about the struggle of Faith of a young person who's actually a real human being, you're definitely better off looking at Robert Bresson's "Le journal d'un Curé de campagne"--just be warned that if you're the type who goes for cheap thrillers like "Echoes of Innocence," you'll find the former far too slow for your tastes.

High school films are the kind of thing that I tend to be in to. I'm not entirely sure where that comes from, I didn't have the best high school experience and that probably has something to do with it. I must like watching people navigate through the experience with what is often more complicated a time then I had. All the drama on screen makes my own seem less terrible. But at a certain point you have to realize that these on screen experiences are just actors playing a role and what ends up being watchable is not necessarily reality. Still, there's an element of comfort in it and that can't be discounted. More than likely because good drama is usually based on some element of truth. In that way the emotional elements take on a universal feel that everyone can relate to for anyone who has gone through the experience of the last 50 years of education where the modern high school experience originated in Western cultures.

Circumstances and technology will change over time, but high school is always just... well... high school. No one likes it, and if you ask some people no one ever really leaves it as you can look at the world and see elements of it in every day life. While watching Echoes of Innocence, I get the impression that the circumstances of today's high school student seems to be ideology. What is belief's place in the high school experience of today? Is there a place for religion and faith in the modern public system? Most people would be turned off by such an idea, but those questions in a lot of ways are more like themes to the film that are creeping around the sides of the film's main plot, much like the background scenery of the visuals or the setting of high school itself. The real story is driven by the character of Sara, a young girl who feels out of place and somewhat ostracized from her classmates. Reasons why are pretty clearly defined through a series of flashbacks which lay out who she is and why she acts the way she does. That coupled with a number of voice overs from Sara herself make her the most interesting character of the bunch, which include her best friend who is both supportive and critical, various classmates who are both put off and intrigued by her, and the new kid in school who joined the local paper and wants to do a story about Sara.

They all play a part in Sara's story but the characters themselves don't necessarily get clearly defined. More often then not they are inserted into Sara's story when necessary to give her someone to interact with. Her own journey is very much a solitary one, defined by her own actions and her own ideas about the world and what she wants from it rather then how she relates to others. This drags down the story somewhat but Sara's progression is defined clearly enough that she manages power through the weak bits. It gives her story the necessary elements not to be bored by it. Obvious parallels to Biblical elements are present but the filmmakers clearly pulled back enough so as not to come off like a preachy film. I'm honestly not sure whether that causes a problem for the film or whether it helps. I suppose it's 50/50 in that department. Still, I think the film is worth watching for anyone who wants to look back and remember the way they saw the world when they were that age. Perhaps give you a new perspective on the vision you have of the world today. I say check it out.

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I saw this movie at the premier in Dallas. I can't wait for it to go to theaters everywhere. The lead actors did a great job of captivating the audience. Their on-screen charisma just lit up the screen. Sara Simmonds who plays a sort of Gothic-type teenager named Sarah was perfect for this part. This girl can act! Jake McDorman who is also in the Fox's Quintuplets show is a must-see. Jake is an incredible actor and is definitely on his way up! He displays strength and confidence, but is incredibly real and approachable at the same time. It was a wonderful experience to meet both of these two young actors at the premier. The directing was incredible. The music was so very well done, along with the cinematography and costume designing. If this movie opens during the summer, it will do great! Our nations teenagers will flock to see this movie several times and when they do, they will be getting a positive message. There just isn't enough of this type of movie anymore. Congratulations to New World Pictures for producing Echoes of Innocence.