Review of October Baby (2011) by Jerry H — 22 Oct 2012

When one thinks of Christian cinema, usually what comes to mind are movies that are cheesy ("The Ten Commandments,") inane ("The Fourth Wise Man,") or both ("C Me Dance"). However, in recent years, Christian films have improved in quality; one need look no further than the successes of the two "VeggieTales" movies, the three "Narnia" flicks, anything made by the Kendricks, "To Save a Life," or (especially) "The Passion of the Christ" for examples of Christian cinema that was actually done right. "October Baby" is a Christian film, but it is not a retelling of a Biblical story, nor is it an interpretation of Revelation's enigmatic symbolism. Instead, it is a wonderfully made, pro-life drama that features a great cast, a moving story, and easily the best soundtrack with lyrics I have ever heard. Everyone who starred in this movie did wonderfully; "newcomer" Rachel Hendrix did an excellent job as the female lead, and everyone else, from John Schneider ("Dukes of Hazzard") as the beleaguered father to Chris Sligh ("American Idol") as the film's comic relief, shone in his or her role. Even if you've been disappointed in previous Christian movies, "October Baby" is still worth checking out, because it's pretty much in a league of its own.

As for content concerns: Though "October Baby" isn't as hard-edged as same-rated "To Save a Life," it still isn't for young children. The entire movie deals with abortion and unplanned pregnancy, so, anyone who is too young to understand what those even are would only be confused by this film. References to alcohol consumption would be equally flummoxing. In this case, I would say that the MPAA got it right; "October Baby" is not for those under thirteen years of age. Even those who are older may not be able to appreciate this film; you'll have to judge for yourself whether or not your kid(s) is/are ready for it.