Freedom

Positive—I loved this story. The mix of the historical Underground railroad and slavery in the United States, tied in with the story of John Newton writer of Amazing Grace, and the fictional story of Samuel and his family made a brilliant subject. Samuel’s journey to freedom and his discovery of faith in God’s promise, lead to a deeply moving end to this movie.

One thing that struck me was Samuel’s exit from the plantation and journey to freedom reminded me deeply of the Exodus story, and while no one parted the seas for Samuel, the miracles of God were there all the same, in the form of help from his fellow man along the journey.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4½

Positive—Good movie. I agree with the reviewer’s comments about the R rating. I would have no problem with my youngest daughter of age 10 seeing this movie. It has solid Christian themes, throughout. I had some difficulty finding where I could watch this movie, but found it for rent on Amazon.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 4

Neutral—My husband and I viewed this film this evening, and I must admit that I had high expectations. I was hoping for something similarly compelling to the film “Amazing Grace” about William Wilberforce. Even without comparing “Freedom” to that film, we both found it very lukewarm and unmemorable. The parts of the film which should have been dramatic felt rather forced and devoid of real emotion. The action was almost anti-climactic, with none of the intensity and urgency which I expected from a movie about escapees fleeing on the Underground Railroad (save for a scant few well-done scenes). I’ve just thought of exactly what this film seemed like to me… it was as if I had come into the last episode of a television mini series after having watched none of the previous installments.

I felt like I was supposed to be moved by the characters and their situations, but did not know them well enough to relate to them. That is exactly how “Freedom” seemed to me. I began to question the research the filmmakers had put into the movie after noticing a simple anachronistic error early on when Newton’s future wife Mary sings “It Is Well With My Soul” in the 1700s, although the song was not penned until the late 1800s. I am not usually critical of such errors, but this did little to help me have any faith in its accuracy regarding other events. The movie just did not feel very believable, and I was unable to connect with it. I felt a continued sense of disjointedness that did not allow me to immerse myself fully into the lives of the characters.

Of course, this did not all stem from the error about the hymn, but was a cumulative effect of the pacing, writing and acting. I know that Cuba Gooding Jr. is a fine and dramatic actor. I appreciated his performances in “Gifted Hands” and “Radio,” yet here he seemed distracted and wooden. I am confident that he and the other actors and actresses did their best with the material, and are to be commended for taking on such difficult roles set in such tumultuous time periods. But I could not connect with Samuel or his family, or John Newton and the slaves we met on his ship. There was so much potential here for real connection, for feeling real grief for the characters in times of grief and feeling real joy in their times of joy, but we just could not engage in it despite wanting very much to do so.

There was only one scene, near the beginning, which truly reached me… and it did not involve the main characters. After that gripping scene, I was waiting for more that never came.

I was also somewhat surprised at the lack of spiritual depth. Mayhap I was expecting far too much in that area after reading the main review. Newton crying out to God during the storm seemed almost an afterthought, or worse… a mere change of heart about slavery instead of the pleadings of a desperate sinner seeking God. We never see him reach the point of recognizing himself as the “wretch” of his song. There was a brief proclamation that he was a “different man” than he had been, but other than singing his song, there was no reason given for his change. (In actuality, Newton continued to work aboard slave ships for years even after his spiritual experience during the storm, , and he claimed that his true conversion did not come until much later.)

Of course, it was far better than secular fare, but if I was an unbeliever watching this film, or someone who did not know the story of John Newton, I would have had no idea what was happening or what the film was trying to portray about his life. There was so much possibility there.

For a different portrayal of Newton, see the movie “Amazing Grace” and hear the brokenness in old Newton’s voice as he remembers the depravity of his soul before he was saved. Hear him proclaim that he only knows one thing… that “I am a great sinner, and Christ is a great Savior.” There was none of that gospel-centered boldness in “Freedom.” (One serious flaw in the “Amazing Grace” portrayal of Newton was that he was shown as a man seeking to do penance for something which God had already forgiven.)

There was also much possibility presented in the unbelieving character Samuel and his journey to faith in God as he traveled the Railroad. But it felt very forced and left me wondering if his faith was just gratefulness for God’s protection or if it was the sort of faith that would bring him fully to Christ. We are left not really knowing.

There is a great story of redemption to be told about John Newton, and there is a great story of heroism to be told about those bravely conducting and riding the Underground Railroad. I felt that this movie tried too hard to combine the two and fell short of the mark. I appreciate the effort but had hoped for so much more.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 2½