Discarded Things
Discarded Things stars Karen Abercrombie (God’s Compass, War Room), who delivers a powerful performance as Grace Wyatt. Grace is a highly respected music professor. But Grace has a difficult past to overcome, and the film does a great job of showing just how long-lasting the effects of abuse and legalism can be.
Foundational to her struggles is her rape as a teenager in the church where her father (Cameron Arnett, Eleanor’s Bench) was pastor. The way her father handles the incident and his generally prideful attitude leave Grace with a lot of scars and broken family relationships.
Despite this, Grace goes on to have a happy and successful career in music therapy. She is a well-loved, successful professor with a wonderful husband.
Then events turn Grace’s life upside down. When a car accident kills her husband, she turns to prescription drugs and alcohol. Caught in a downward spiral, she loses her way until friends talk her into going to rehab.
Following rehab, Grace takes a job teaching music therapy at a home for at-risk youth. Among these is complicated Daniella, played by Madison Bailey (Outer Banks). Initially distant and uninterested in what she’s teaching, Grace gradually warms up to her students and starts to connect with them.
Slowly, the kids begin to tap into their God-given talents. This includes creation of some truly beautiful music, notably the song “Discarded Things” by Ian Gray. In the process, the kids are not the only ones who find healing.
Because of their mistakes and hurts and the struggles life has handed them, each of the characters feels discarded by those they trusted. Yet Grace begins to see how much richer and more redemptive God is than the version of Him she sometimes encountered in the church growing up.
Together, Grace and her students learn that their past is not the sum of who they are.
The film sensitively portrays difficult experiences. However, Discarded Things is TV-14 and so may not be suitable for the whole family.
Genre: Christian drama
Rating: TV-14
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