Hopeful, The

image for Hopeful, The

Short takes

Not suitable under 8; parental guidance to 10 (themes, distressing scenes; may lack interest under 16)

Age
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
classification logo

This topic contains:

  • overall comments and recommendations
  • details of classification and consumer advice lines for Hopeful, The
  • a review of Hopeful, The completed by the Australian Council on Children and the Media (ACCM) on 22 October 2024.

Overall comments and recommendations

Children under 8 Not suitable due to themes and disturbing scenes.
Children aged 8–10 Parental guidance recommended due to themes.
Children aged 11 and over Ok for this age group, though may lack interest under 16.

About the movie

This section contains details about the movie, including its classification by the Australian Government Classification Board and the associated consumer advice lines. Other classification advice (OC) is provided where the Australian film classification is not available.

Name of movie: Hopeful, The
Classification: PG
Consumer advice lines: Mild themes
Length: 90 minutes

ACCM review

This review of the movie contains the following information:

A synopsis of the story

While crossing the Atlantic Ocean in 1874, widower John Andrews (Gregory Wilson), the first missionary for the Seventh Day Adventist Church, tells the history of their Faith to his two children Charles (Darren Emery) and Mary (Maddy Martin). He begins with the story of William Miller (Bill Lake), who quietly determines that the return of Christ is near and who goes on to preach in various churches, offering a message of hope and salvation to all those who will listen. Among the listeners is a frail and sickly teenage girl named Ellen (Tommie-Amber Pirie), who finds peace in William’s words, truth in his new message and who will go on to become one of the most influential women in history. Bitterly disappointed when Christ fails to return at the appointed hour, she is determined to wait for his coming. While many lose faith and far more mock and taunt those who dared to believe in the first place, and while families and friends are torn apart by conflicting ideologies, Ellen becomes the recipient of visions and dreams. She demonstrates proof of a power far greater than any human could hope to have, and in her own gentle and steadfast way, together with her husband James (Stephan MacDonald), she helps found a church and continues leading people to believe in the imminent coming of Christ.

Themesinfo

Children and adolescents may react adversely at different ages to themes of crime, suicide, drug and alcohol dependence, death, serious illness, family breakdown, death or separation from a parent, animal distress or cruelty to animals, children as victims, natural disasters and racism. Occasionally reviews may also signal themes that some parents may simply wish to know about.

Tests of Faith; Disbelief and Mockery; Financial hardship; Sacrifice; Human frailty; Disappointment; Division of families and communities.

Use of violenceinfo

Research shows that children are at risk of learning that violence is an acceptable means of conflict resolution when violence is glamourised, performed by an attractive hero, successful, has few real life consequences, is set in a comic context and / or is mostly perpetrated by male characters with female victims, or by one race against another.

Repeated exposure to violent content can reinforce the message that violence is an acceptable means of conflict resolution. Repeated exposure also increases the risks that children will become desensitised to the use of violence in real life or develop an exaggerated view about the prevalence and likelihood of violence in their own world.

There is some violence in this movie, including:

  • In 1816, William stumbles across a battlefield full of the bodies of fallen soldiers, where shells explode, bullets fly and men run and scream around him.
  • Seventy-five thousand soldiers are called to war. Cannons boom in the background.

Material that may scare or disturb children

Under fiveinfo

Children under five are most likely to be frightened by scary visual images, such as monsters, physical transformations.

  • Nothing further noted for this age group.

Aged five to eightinfo

Children aged five to eight will also be frightened by scary visual images and will also be disturbed by depictions of the death of a parent, a child abandoned or separated from parents, children or animals being hurt or threatened and / or natural disasters.

In addition to the above-mentioned violent scenes and scary visual images, there are some scenes in this movie that could scare or disturb children aged five to eight, including the following:

  • Ellen collapses to the floor during a prayer meeting and appears to be unconscious, though she later shares she was communing with angels. Ellen goes into multiple trances where her eyes go off to the side or look far away. Some men are scared of her and believe that she has been possessed by the devil but she proves them wrong by embracing the Bible they throw at her and quoting passages without seeing them. The scenes are not scary but may be confusing or distressing to some children.
  • Ellen and James lose a child. They are clearly worried as the infant cannot stop crying and despite everything they do, he does not get better. The child’s heartfelt cries echo through the night and the next scene is of his funeral where a sobbing Ellen is seen placing his baby shoes on a grave marker.
  • James is very unwell and suffers a number of physical afflictions, even talking to Ellen about what she should do if he dies. Out of the blue, James suddenly collapses at the dinner table in front of his family. His children are clearly scared and worried as they run to fetch the doctor and Ellen tries to hold herself together but is very distraught. She helps nurse James back to health and eventually he is well again.

Aged eight to thirteeninfo

Children aged eight to thirteen are most likely to be frightened by realistic threats and dangers, violence or threat of violence and / or stories in which children are hurt or threatened.

  • Nothing further noted.

Product placement

The following products are displayed or used in this movie:

  • The Bible is often quoted and shown, as are Seventh Day Adventist materials and teachings.

Sexual references

  • None noted.

Nudity and sexual activity

  • None noted.

Use of substances

There is some use of substances in this movie, including:

  • A character in a bar says: “Free ale till the end of the world.”
  • Characters drink pints in a tavern.
  • When the appointed hour for Christ’s return comes and goes, a man makes fun of those who believe in His coming and says that: “Jesus can buy the next round of drinks.”

Coarse language

There is some coarse language in this movie, including:

  • Fool!

In a nutshell

The Hopeful is an historical look at the lives of William Miller and Ellen White and how their lives and beliefs changed the world around them. The film features simple cinematography, an impactful performance by Tommie-Amber Pirie and powerful messages about the need for Faith. The film is suitable for audiences aged 11 and older but may lack interest for those under 16.

The main messages from this movie are that we must follow the rules of God over the rules of men; that God’s message is not about a single date but about teachings that bring light and life to the world; and that without doubt and mystery there would be no need for Faith.

Values in this movie that parents may wish to reinforce with their children include:

  • Faith
  • Hope
  • Love
  • Compassion
  • Patience
  • Trust.

This movie could also give parents the opportunity to discuss with their children attitudes and behaviours, and their real-life consequences, such as:

  • Taking excessive measures based on what you believe and against the wishes of family members, such as selling or giving away all of your possessions.
  • Refusing to have Faith or believe in proofs presented to you and demonstrated before your eyes.
  • Failing to find common ground or acceptance and allowing families to be torn apart and friendships to be destroyed because people share different ideologies.
  • Belittling, bullying or mocking others because they believe differently than you do.