Review of Little Hope Was Arson (2013) by Tim D — 26 Nov 2014

In January of 2010 in deep East Texas, ten churches burned to the ground in just over a month's time. The buckle of the Bible belt is rocked by this wave of crimes in so many small communities. LITTLE HOPE WAS ARSON catalogs the story of the crime and the greater community's reaction. Part small town detective story and part soul-searching chastisement on our religious institution, director Theo Love weaves a gripping true crime tale.

The film jumps right into the mysterious fires--coming one after another, all in small towns dotting the buckle of the Bible Belt, all in the greater East Texas landscape. The ATF and Texas Rangers are quickly dispatched for what would become the largest criminal investigation in the region's history. Early on, the film presents a message found scratched on a bathroom stall in a department store in Tyler, TX. Its cryptic message is only this: Little Hope Was Arson. It references one of the very first church fires of the Little Hope Baptist Church. As the fires continue--sometimes two a night, the people in these communities show all ranges of response. Many are hurt, scared, while some remain steadfast that the building is nothing more than just bricks and wood. Many rage against the invisible criminals--whoever they might be, calling down for vengeance. Some even look to blame the devil himself. Meantime, it seems that the criminals are outsmarting the ATF agents and the Texas Rangers while the crimes intensify. Along the way, some churches begin to ask volunteers to watch their churches overnight. These members (it is Texas, after all) come armed--ready to defend these buildings and, to a greater degree, what they represent. Soon, evidence begins to mount, the dramatics escalate, and suspects begin to surface. And then the film becomes far more interesting.

LITTLE HOPE WAS ARSON chooses to shine a light on the dangers of convenient small town religion and the inevitable hypocrisy that can come from some in these Bible thumping communities. The suspects themselves have terrible stories of addiction, loss, and grief. In a sad betrayal, these church members, pastors, and even family members admit to being unable or unwilling to help when the suspects needed them most. It acts as an indictment on a Christian community that ignores its own damaged parishioners--and ultimately pays a steep price for it.. Families are devastated and lives are ruined. The film offers a raw look at Christian community--giving a very balanced approach to consider those who accept church and religion as only a superficial label, not a lifestyle. There are various forms of forgiveness that the film explores, including giving voice to the suspects themselves in the final reel.

Can churches truly offer restorative love and acceptance? Is small town religion more about hypocrisy and less about unconditional love? LITTLE HOPE WAS ARSON asks some tough questions and gives unflinching responses to how Christians might deal with broken people living among them. Recommended.