Sound of Freedom Box Office Tops $131 Million as Elite Media Fights Back

“God’s children are not for sale.”

That now iconic line was spoken by Jim Caviezel (The Passion of the Christ), playing Tim Ballard (former Homeland Security Special Agent turned anti-human trafficking activist) in this summer’s blockbuster, The Sound of Freedom. It’s a mic drop moment in the flick. It sums up perfectly the heart of our hero, who lays it all on the line to rescue a small girl, stolen, trafficked, and hopelessly trapped in the clutches of her slave owner.

When we heard that line – we all agreed. God’s children are not for sale.

Our hearts connected with that truth. Human trafficking and child sex slavery are among the world’s greatest atrocities, where children, babies, toddlers, and teens are sold – sometimes five or more times a day to sexual deviants.

It’s a $150 billion industry. Yes, that’s BILLION, with a B. For perspective, the movie industry is worth about 42 billion. Human trafficking is more than three times that.

In other words, slavery in the world is booming. Roughly 50 million are slaves today – more than double the number in the 1800s. Of that astounding figure, it’s estimated that more than a quarter of those are children.

It’s harsh – and it’s true.

The Sound of Freedom shed much-needed light on this massive industry’s evil. America applauded buying out theatres, flocking to support its message. The Bible reminds us that “when the righteous increase, the people rejoice” (Proverbs 29:2) – but not everyone joined the standing ovation.

Media Boos The Sound of Freedom

Who could be against a message of hope and freedom for the oppressed and abused?

Plenty of media elite “journalists” curiously acted as though child sex slavery is a made-up, or at least an exaggerated concept.

Vanity Fair called it “2023’s Most Controversial Film.” The Rolling Stone headline blared, “Sound of Freedom: Box Office Triumph for QAnon Believers.” They panned Caviezel as a right-wing conspiracist and Ballard as some kind of attention-seeker.

But wait. What’s the rub here? Who would NOT want these children championed on the big screen?

Quickly after its July 4 release, the media condemned it as part of a conspiracy to sensationalize the problem and the work of Tim Ballard’s organization Operation Underground Railroad.

Hold up. How can you sensationalize 1.2 million children who are trafficked, sexually abused, forced into prostitution, other labor, or used for organ harvesting? Seriously…how do you exaggerate these facts that are readily accessible through organizations that are not exactly right-wing, like the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Save the Children, UNICEF, and a number of our own US government agencies. It’s no secret that this is happening, so there’s no conspiracy to point to.

So why are media outlets like NPR, Washington Post, The Guardian, and others shamelessly determined to trash this important film? You tell me. It is baffling.

Can you imagine if the media panned Alex Haley’s moving and rightfully acclaimed mini-series Roots as fiction that “sensationalized” the horror of slavery? Ludicrous. Yet they panned Sound of Freedom as an exaggeration of a problem even they admit exists. Slavery is more than a problem. There aren’t words to describe the horrific criminality of today’s world wide web of slavers and their victims.

It’s hard to wrap my brain around the idea of a media bent on protecting an industry that traffics 1.2 million children annually. Seriously have these people no shame? How is this political at all?

Did Hollywood Attempt to Squash Sound of Freedom?

Before the media unabashedly attacked the film following its release, Sound of Freedom languished for five years, finished but unreleased. It’s been said that Netflix and Amazon both passed on the movie.

We know that when Disney bought 21^st Century Fox in 2019, the movie lost its original avenue for distribution. It may have gathered a few years’ worth of dust in Disney’s corporate vault, but it’s important to note that we don’t know of any necessarily nefarious reason. It was just caught up in the Fox purchase and sat there until Angel Studios came to the fore and purchased distribution rights from the Mouse. While a delay of a film this impactful cannot be characterized as a positive, we wonder if the timing may have worked in its favor. Only two years ago, movie theatres stood empty and shuttered as some flicks that hit the box office in 2020 were squashed by pandemic lockdowns.

Have You Seen It Yet?

If you haven’t gone yet – we recommend that you do.

Admittedly, when my husband and I went, I thought it would be like taking medicine. I didn’t expect much more than a sobering look at the trauma, injustice, and pain.

To my surprise, it was a great movie by any standards. It told a breathtaking story of hope – even as it exposed pure evil. People cried – and applauded. The art of cinematic storytelling hit its mark, giving us reason to celebrate, concepts to consider, and inspiration to get involved in a worldwide movement to end slavery.

Note: It’s not a movie for the whole family. We recommend that your younger kiddos not be included in this outing. You may want to get the details of what is depicted by checking out the detailed review at PluggedIn.com.

Human Trafficking In Your World

There’s much more to know about child trafficking than what was portrayed in The Sound of Freedom.

Did you know that trafficking is prevalent in our United States?
Did you know that kids in the suburbs are targeted?
Do you know the best way to protect your kids and teens?

We’ve got you, mamas.

None of us can afford to remain uninformed, unprepared, or unguarded regarding our precious children. We want to help you with information that will give you the tools to protect your loved ones.

Last week we hosted a fascinating forum, Human Trafficking in the US: What Every Parent Needs to Know. Collaborating with the organization Enough Is Enough¹, we heard from President and CEO Donna Rice Hughes – a pioneer in internet safety, along with Bill Woolf, recipient of the Presidential Medal for extraordinary efforts to combat Human Trafficking in Persons, awarded by President Trump. Woolf also served as the human trafficking programs director at the Department of Justice and was a special advisor to the White House. In this engaging discussion, you’ll discover what dangers to watch for and how to protect your children from the tentacles of this predatory industry bent on entrapping kids in various ways you’ll want to be aware of. Don’t miss this vital information that could save your children from disaster.

Many of us left the movie wondering what to do next. Here are four actions you can take right now:

Support Sound of Freedom at the box office.
Get to know organizations like Enough Is Enough and others on the frontlines in this battle.
Educate yourself to help safeguard your family.
A praying mama is formidable (James 5:16), and the power of God is undeniable.

Together, at Moms for America, we stand half a million strong. We are a powerful force to affect the future of this nation – and this world.

Join us in fighting for our children and the millions whose names you’ll never know.