By Peyton Majors
Christian Action League
July 21, 2023
The surprise box office hit of the summer doesn’t involve Marvel superheroes, Star Wars villains or even animated Pixar characters.
Instead, it tells the real-world story of a former government agent, Tim Ballard, who stepped down from his job at the Department of Homeland Security so he could dedicate his life to fighting child sex trafficking, full time. Jim Caviezel stars in the lead role, while Oscar-winner Mira Sorvino portrays his wife.
That faith-focused film, Sound of Freedom (PG-13), was the No. 1 movie in the United States on opening day and has grossed more than $100 million, increasing its revenue from week to week as films on the same chart fall. In its second weekend, its box office gross grew 38 percent — an all-time record for a summer film with a wide release of at least 2,500 theaters. To put that in perspective, no film in the Disney universe — a portfolio that includes Marvel, Star Wars and Pixar — has done what Sound of Freedom has done. Typically, movies fall at least 30 to 50 percent from opening weekend to week number two.
The Christian Action League has endorsed the film and urges its supporters to watch it. (Although with mature themes and mild language, the PG-13 film may not be for younger viewers.)
“My wife and I recently went to see this picture together and we thought it was incredible,” said Rev. Mark Creech, executive director of the Christian Action League. “We not only recommend you go and see it, but there is a special message at the end of the credits from Jim Caviezel that you ought to hear, too. Stay for it.”
The studio behind the film, Angel Studios, is the same company that launched The Chosen and released the faith-based film His Only Son, another box office hit. The director of the pro-life film Bella is the filmmaker behind Sound of Freedom.
“Sound of Freedom has become the people’s movie,” said Jared Geesey, senior vice president of global distribution with Angel Studios. “It was chosen by over 100,000 people in the Angel Guild, fueled by untold tens of thousands through our ‘Pay it Forward’ program, and is dominating the box office as the result of a ground-up, grassroots movement of everyday people who are making this an historic success. This is the opposite of the top-down system developed by Hollywood gatekeepers. We are empowering people to be part of choosing, funding and sharing stories that amplify light and impact culture.”
The film has placed the issue of human trafficking back in the national spotlight, roughly a decade after North Carolina’s legislature passed and the governor signed a bill spearheaded and shepherded through the legislature by the Christian Action League that increased the penalty for the human trafficking of buying or selling a minor from a misdemeanor to a felony. The new law also established a Human Trafficking Commission to study the issue and recommend further actions.
Incredibly, the United States ranks No. 1 in the world for human sex trafficking, according to the Polaris Project (PolarisProject.org), an organization that fights human trafficking. Each year more than 500,000 children go missing in the U.S., with at least half of the victims ranging in age from 12 to 15.
According to the Polaris Project:
— 25 percent of child pornography is created by a neighbor or family member.
— Over 500,000 online sexual predators are active each day.
— Over 80 percent of child sex crimes begin on social media.
— More than 250,000 websites contain images or videos of children sexually abused.
Globally, 27 percent of human trafficking involves children. It is a $150 billion-a-year criminal enterprise.
Although the plot of Sound of Freedom depicts children being kidnapped, most victims know their traffickers, the Polaris Project says.
“People in sex trafficking situations almost always know and even trust or love their traffickers,” the Polaris Project says. “Traffickers target vulnerable people who have needs that the traffickers can fill. Sometimes they offer material support — a place to live, clothing, a chance to ‘get rich quick.’ Other times they offer love, emotional support or a sense of belonging. Kidnapping victims and forcing them into the sex trade through violence is rare.”
Often, victims don’t even realize they are being trafficked.
“They have been so expertly manipulated or ‘groomed’ that they believe they are making their own choice to engage in commercial sex,” the Polaris Project says. “These emotional ties are as powerful as being held in handcuffs or behind bars. People in sex trafficking situations may well also depend on their traffickers for physical needs like money or shelter. They may face threats against them or their families or violence if they complain or try to leave.”
The Christian Action League highly recommends you and your family go and see the movie. Citizen Christians must be informed about this issue, which unquestionably depicts one of the most egregious injustices of our time.
