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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Beautiful faith-affirming story produced with obvious frugality, April 20, 2006
This review is from: Home Beyond the Sun (DVD)
OK, yes...this was done on the cheap. Some of the lines were forced, and the effort to infuse the story with Christian teachings is obvious and direct. BUT--what a heartwarming story. The kid with no chance gets the golden ring! The goodhearted Samaritan ultimately gets rewards even beyond what she hoped for.
As for plausibility, yes China is advancing economically, and, in some areas, the official Communist stance against religion has relaxed. However, Churches and Christians are still required to register with the government, and doing so means accepting monitoring, editing of sermons, and in many cases, restricted opportunities. And there are still areas of China where local authorities choose to persecute Christians (yes, Tibetan Buddhists too, Falun Gong too, etc.) quite strenuously. So, while the film (produced in 2004) had the fill of a late 1970s/early 1980s China, it would be naive to suggest that persecution does not happen in the Middle Kingdom in varying levels.
Bottom-line: Those with a soft spot for sweet, faith-affirming stories will be able to overlook the uneven acting and occasional plot-dialogue deficiencies and enjoy this film. Others have fairly granted fewer stars.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An Uplifting Story, April 1, 2005
This review is from: Home Beyond the Sun (DVD)
Beware. This is a heartwarming story with a strong Christian message. That is the strong point of the movie. Some people will find that a "turn-off". I didn't. I found the story very uplifting, despite its "preachy" tone. The acting is a weakpoint. Some performances were credible; others seemed amateurish. A low-budget film with a wholesome message.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
not so critical, August 2, 2010
This review is from: Home Beyond the Sun (DVD)
I recently watched Home Beyond The Sun with my 14-year-old daughter.
The numerous critical reviews motivated me to refute some of their criticism in order to encourage some more people to try the movie. In response to some of the criticism of the portrayed adoption process, my interpretation was that there was extensive paperwork done by the American adoption agent who had a long career of helping American families adopt from China. Although the movie didn't show all the background work (because that is not what the movie was about & I am thankful as that would've been incredibly boring), the movie gave the impression that there was a great deal of work done over a one year process. My understanding when I looked into adopting from China a few years ago is that it is preferred for one or both of the adoptive parents to accompany the child from China to America, BUT, it is possible to hire someone, like the adoption agent, to accompany the child on behalf of the parents.
It is unfortunate that some reviewers missed out on a wonderful story because they were so caught up in the details that would not have added to the story. The film portrayed that Christians are persecuted in China, which is true, and that the Chinese government, at some point in history, treated female children very differently than we do in America. They did not need to film the whole actual long drawn out process of adoption and every piece of paper required. No one is interested in that. It is sad that the critical reviewers missed out on a wonderful story because they were overly critical of the movie making.
I would reccommend this movie to Christian families with older children, something they can watch as a family that introduces some of the different beliefs and values between China and America. However, I would recommend parents preview it, especially the opening scenes, before watching it with their children.
I do not recommend this movie to people trying to find a perfectly detailed movie about the adoption process and laws of China.
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