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HOPE LIVES

Name: HOPE LIVES
Item: HOPE LIVES
Author: Tess Farrand

"Forgiveness Accomplishes the Impossible"

Content: -1 Caution advised for older children, including teenagers, and sensitive adults.

Entertainment Quality:

	None	Light	Moderate	Heavy
Language
Violence
Sex
Nudity

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What You Need To Know:

HOPE LIVES follows a counselor named Pete Ryan, who starts an after-school anti-bullying program at a high school. Six victims of bullying join the after-school program for bullying victims. The six students begin to warm up to Mr. Ryan, but their relationship with one another is full of hostility. After weeks of activities and talking with Mr. Ryan, though, the group begins to resolve their conflicts and prejudices about one another. Mr. Ryan is working on overcoming tragedy in his past, but he finds joy in helping the students. However, when Mr. Ryan makes a shocking discovery, it may be time for the students to intercede and remind him of what truly matters.

HOPE LIVES has a strong Christian, moral worldview with an underlying theme of forgiveness. The story is uplifting and features prayer and Bible reading. The production lacks some polish, and the performances sometimes leave a bit to be desired. However, ultimately, the movie’s uplifting story and message is what viewers will remember. HOPE LIVES contains intense bullying scenes and some crass joking. So, MOVIEGUIDE® advises caution for older children.

Content:

(CC, BB, V, S, A, M):

Dominant Worldview and Other Worldview Content/Elements:

Strong Christian, moral worldview stresses family and forgiving your enemies, with several Christian elements like prayer, reading the Bible, and cross imagery, the movie emphasizes family and forgiving your enemies

Foul Language:

While there are no curse words, name-calling like “idiot” and “stupid” are used throughout by bullies and the bullied in the school, there is a leaked picture of a man’s nude photo (it’s never shown, but it’s discussed a lot and is used to bully a student)

Violence:

Students are bullied, a child dies after a bully pushes her down, and she hits her head on a bleacher, a different character dies in an auto accident (it’s not graphic but it is intense), and general bullying occurs throughout

Sex:

No sex scenes, but a leaked nude photo is talked about throughout the movie and once in relation to sex

Nudity:

No depicted nudity, but there is a leaked photo of a nude man nude photo and, though the photo is never shown, but it’s discussed a lot and is used to bully a student Alcohol Use/Abuse: One scene at a bar, and one instance of wine consumption

Smoking and/or Drug Use and Abuse:

No smoking or drugs;

Miscellaneous Immorality:

While there is a redemptive character arc for the main character, which ends in supernatural forgiveness, many of the students who are bullied simply stand up for themselves and one another, which could appear that they just bully in response.

More Detail:

HOPE LIVES is a faith-friendly drama about a counselor who starts an after-school program at a high school, but the counselor’s past could jeopardize his ability to help the students. The production of HOPE LIVES lacks some polish, but the story is uplifting with positive Christian elements, including prayer and an underlying theme of forgiveness.

The movie begins with the tragic events that led to the death of Pete Ryan’s daughter. Mr. Ryan’s wife died during childbirth, so his daughter’s death is especially difficult.

Mr. Ryan’s Christian mother suggests moving to a different state to begin the healing process. A year after his daughter’s death, Mr. Ryan lands a job at a high school and starts an after-school program for bullied students. Only six students show up, and they are a ragtag group with various backgrounds and different problems.

Meanwhile, Mr. Ryan and the school’s principal go on a date, and Mr. Ryan reveals his past experience with bullies and the tragic loss of his daughter. He also shares that he didn’t press charges against the young boy responsible.

The six students begin to warm up to Mr. Ryan, but their relationship with one another is still full of hostility. After weeks of activities and talking with Mr. Ryan, though, the group begins to resolve their conflicts and preconceptions about one another.

Things are going well, and Mr. Ryan and the students now look forward to their weekly meetings. After a tragic event that profoundly affects the students and Mr. Ryan, they band together as a family.

Mr. Ryan makes a discovery about his new love interest, Principal Hemley, which shakes his faith. Mr. Ryan is ready to leave everything he loves in his new life. However, can his mother’s wisdom and the power of forgiveness keep Mr. Ryan in the students’ lives?

HOPE LIVES has a strong Christian, moral worldview, with an underlying theme of forgiveness. The story is uplifting and features prayer and Bible reading. The production lacks some polish, and the performances sometimes leave a bit to be desired. However, ultimately, the movie’s uplifting story and message are what viewers will remember. HOPE LIVES contains intense bullying scenes and some crass joking. So, MOVIEGUIDE® advises caution for older children.

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