'Sarah's Choice'
film
NASHVILLE, Tennessee - Christian recording artist Rebecca St. James
debuts as a lead actress in "Sarah's Choice," a pro-life film about a
rising business executive who discovers she is expecting a baby outside
of marriage.
The film, available on DVD from PureFlix Entertainment, follows Sarah
as she faces pressure from coworkers who advocate aborting the baby and
as she receives advice from her family to keep the child. All along,
she's not sure whether she wants to marry the baby's father.
St. James said the script caught her attention because the pro-life
message has become increasingly important to her over the years of
speaking about sexual purity, a platform spurred by her signature
pro-abstinence song "Wait For Me."
"I've spoken and sung at a lot of different crisis pregnancy center
fundraisers, so I've known the need, but God really ignited my heart
for the pro-life message this past year," St. James said.
She compared Sarah's Choice to Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol"
because the main character receives three visions of what life would be
like if she chose not to abort her baby. In one vision, her daughter is
six weeks old; in another, 6 years old; and in the third, she is an
adult with a baby of her own.
"I think the message aligns with Christian values. That's probably the
first thing that comes to mind," St. James said. "I've been singing now
for about 16 years, and there's an audience that I really want to honor
with the projects that I take on. So I make sure that it's something
that is God-honoring. That's really key for me."
One of the reasons Americans are so interested in reality television,
St. James said, is that they want to watch something that seems
authentic. Though she hasn't been in the same situation as Sarah, St.
James said she chose to accept the script for the movie because she
could relate to the pain, fear and pressure Sarah faced.
"She really does want to do the right thing. She's got different voices
that are speaking into her life. She's got some people in her life
saying, 'Have an abortion.' She's got her mom, who's saying, 'Don't
have an abortion.' Her sister, 'Don't do it.' She's got this boyfriend
who she's not sure whether he's going to flake out on her or stand by
her," St. James said.
Now that the movie is available nationwide, St. James hopes believers
who watch it will reach out to people in their lives who might be
facing a similar decision. From what they learn in the movie, they
might be able to more effectively encourage their friends to choose
life, she said.
"I know many that are going to watch this that have had an abortion in
their past, and there's a very strong theme of redemption and
forgiveness in the film," St. James said. "One of the characters has
had an abortion, and she's struggling with grieving that loss. There's
one scene in the film where an abortion recovery group is writing love
letters to their unborn children in heaven and naming their child and
then tying that love letter to a helium balloon and letting it go as a
part of their grief therapy from their abortion.
"So my friend in the film, this character that has had an abortion, she
ends up doing that at the very end of the film, and it's very, very
moving," she said. "So I know the people that have already seen the
movie at the different screenings that we've had, we have really seen
that people that have had abortions are being ministered to through it
and are moved. So I think it's going to be a real catalyst for healing
for those that can relate directly to that character in the film."
St. James said the film even is appropriate for older children and
teenagers who are at an age where they need to learn about choices and
purity.
"It's going to promote questions that I think are very healthy for
Christian parents to be talking to their kids about," she said. "The
culture really speaks so many lies to kids through so much of media,
through so many movies and TV and through things that are spoken about
at school with kids today.
"It's unbelievable to me the things that I hear that young kids are
hearing about at school. So I think if parents can get in early about
God's way and the beauty of His way and His protection for us and the
plan that He has in the Bible, that's wonderful," she said. "I think it
promotes healthy questions that are good for dialogue within the
family."
Months before she even knew about the audition for Sarah's Choice, St.
James found herself at a crisis pregnancy center in Los Angeles with
some friends. As she got involved in ministry there, she realized a
need for movies and music that could support the pro-life message.
"I saw that there's very, very little that supports the pro-life
message and what these people are doing at these crisis pregnancy
centers to support these young girls in having their children," St.
James said. "So I decided there's such a need here, and I really felt
in my heart that God was going to lead me into talking about this
message."
St. James encourages people not only to watch the movie but to show it
in ministry settings, because it's a "powerful, moving, heartwarming
film."
"It's very human. I think you will relate to the character in her pain,
in the honesty of her heart in wanting to do the right thing but
feeling like she's under a lot of pressure," St. James said.
Contact: Erin Roach
Source:
BP
Publish
Date:
January 15, 2010
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The IFRL is the largest grassroots pro-life organization in
Illinois. A non-profit organization, that serves as the state
coordinating body for local pro-life chapters representing thousands of
Illinois citizens working to restore respect for all human life in our
society. The IFRL is composed of people of different political
persuasions, various faiths and diverse economic, social and ethnic
backgrounds. Since 1973 the Illinois Federation for Right to Life has
been working to end abortion and restore legal protection to those members of the
human family who are threatened by abortion, infanticide and euthanasia. Diverse though we are, we hold one common belief - that
every human being has an inalienable right to life that is precious and must be protected. IFRL is
dedicated to restoring the right to life to the unborn, and protection
for the disabled and the elderly. Click here to learn more about the IFRL.