Faith’s Song: Fit In or Follow God (Movie Review)

At some point, everyone has to make a hard decision in his or her life. Whether a person chooses the easy path (although it may go against who they are) or the more difficult route can make all the difference in the world.

In the 2017 film, Faith’s Song, the titular character Faith (Hayden Grace McCoy) has to make such a decision.

One evening while Grace is at choir practice, her parents, Gregg (Phillip Bolin) and Carol (Denise Bolin), are at a restaurant celebrating their anniversary. On the way home from dinner, they are involved in a tragic car accident. Gregg dies instantly while an ambulance rush Carol to the hospital where she passes away during emergency surgery.

Faith has to move several hours away to live with her non-Christian Aunt Pam (Sheridan Swails) and Uncle Roger (George Dinsmore), leaving her two best friends behind. Roger wants nothing to do with Faith and is disgusted by her devout faith to the point that he loses his appetite because she simply prayed before breakfast.

At school, Faith also struggles to fit in and make friends. Many of her fellow students harass and make fun of her for her faith, calling her “freak” and ridiculing her clothes. Instead of changing her ways to fit in with her classmates, she remains true to who she is as a person and follow God.

Having a servant’s heart, Faith goes out of her way to help others. At her aunt and uncle’s house, she notices their elderly neighbor, Ms. Bell (Mickey Bollenberg), going to retrieve her newspaper and later her mail. Faith offers to collect them for her, saving Ms. Bell the time and trouble. In return, she offers Faith a piece of advice: “Don’t let them (Faith’s aunt and uncle) change her.”

One day at the park, Faith notices Jade (Tabitha Tavelle), a pregnant and homeless 15-year-old, rummaging through a trash can looking for food. When Faith returns to her aunt and uncle’s house, she rummages through the kitchen cabinets looking for food to take to Jade.

It is these two acts of kindness that makes Pam begin to realize what a relationship with Christ can do for someone. Faith, who just tragically lost her parents, could easily let grief and bitterness overcome her, but instead she chooses to glorify God’s name by helping others and being a servant to those who are less fortunate.

After her rough introduction to her new school, Faith makes one friend. Michael (Jacob Maresh) is one of the popular kids at their school and friends with many of the same people who picked on Faith. Despite his friends’ treatment of Faith, Michael, who attends the church where Faith is performing, befriends her and asks her out.

Outside of her faith and relationship with God, the only other thing that brings Faith peace during rough moments is her music. Blessed with a beautiful voice, she uses it often to praise and give glory to God.

While Faith’s Song won’t win any awards, it’s a sweet movie with a nice story that the entire family can enjoy together.