Redeeming Love Review…Eventually

Last month, I had a big birthday. I’m not going to share which one, but it ended in a zero. Nine years ago, when my husband Chris reached this landmark age, I threw him a birthday bash. He didn’t figure there would be a good turnout since it was only a couple weeks before Christmas. He was wrong!

Now was my turn. We don’t live in the same Northern California community as we did then—or even the same state. And although we’ve made a lot of great friends here in middle Tennessee and have family close by, I’m not much into parties. I wanted to ease into this decade without pomp and circumstance. Actually, I didn’t want to ease into this decade at all, but I can’t stop time. Chris suggested we take a trip, which in these Covid-laden times didn’t appeal. Then in December, I saw that one of my favorite books by Francine Rivers, Redeeming Love, was being released as a movie the day before my birthday.

“If that’s all I get to do, it’ll be more than enough,” I told him. It might have been enough for me, but I think he was feeling a little guilty that we weren’t doing something more extravagant. So, he decided to extend the celebration over a few days. On the advice of a friend, he made reservations for dinner at a restaurant we’d never been to before in the Belle Meade area of Nashville—Sperry’s. Best meal I’ve ever had. Well, second best meal. Last year when we were in Orange Beach, Alabama for my birthday, we went to the Half Shell Oyster House in Mobile. Just the thought of the crab-stuffed portobello mushrooms, grilled asparagus with gorgonzola butter and sweet potato crème brûlée with honey butter has me salivating as I write this. Can you tell I’m hungry?

Obviously, I’ve gotten off track. Back to this year’s birthday treats. Thursday night at Sperry’s; Friday, Chris made me a gourmet chicken dinner at home; and Saturday (my actual birthday) was spent with my sister-in-law and her husband—she also made a special dinner. It sounds like we eat a lot, doesn’t it? Anyway, by the time we had a free evening to see Redeeming Love, what was left was a mid-week matinee. I sacrificed work hours for this (altruistic of me, don’t you think?)

I’m sure you’re rolling your eyes by now wondering when I’ll get to the point of this post, so here goes. I’d read a couple less-than-stellar reviews about Redeeming Love. It was labeled “racy” for a Christian film by some, with partial nudity and semi-erotic scenes between main characters Angel and Michael Hosea. One person commented that because of this, they couldn’t take their children to see it.

If you’ve read the book, you know the subject matter deals with prostitution and human trafficking during the California Goldrush. In fact, many of the patrons of the brothels were goldminers who spent all their time and money lusting after that which was evil in the eyes of the Lord. With this in mind, no child should be attending the movie even if there was no partial nudity. One cannot accurately depict such atrocities in a way that would allow a G-rating.

You may already know this, but for those of you not aware, Francine Rivers based Redeeming Love off the book of Hosea in the Bible. If you’re not familiar with this short book, you may want to read it for yourself. Hosea was a prophet, and the LORD said to him, “Go, take yourself an adulterous wife and children of unfaithfulness, because the land is guilty of the vilest adultery in departing from the LORD.” The command was that Hosea would continually forgive his wife for her adulterous behavior as a parallel to the Lord forgiving Israel for theirs.

Of course, Francine Rivers took a lot of creative licenses, and it only loosely followed the biblical book, but I truly loved it. How many times have you heard someone say, “The movie wasn’t nearly as good as the book”? I’ve often said it myself. Until Redeeming Love, the only movie I’ve enjoyed as much as the book was The Green Mile. So, to tell you that I believe the movie is as good as the book is true praise. Francine Rivers co-authored the screenplay, which may be why.

Here is a caveat, though: It’s been years since I read this historical fiction, so I’m a little sketchy on how accurately the movie follows it. I couldn’t remember all the side characters, except for Michael Hosea’s brother-in-law Paul. It’s hard to forget the heartbreak I felt as Sarah (later known as Angel) watched her mother being used in order to provide for her and then be sold into prostitution herself at the age of eight once her mother died.

After years of physical, verbal, and emotional abuse, along came farmer Michael Hosea. He’d recently prayed to the Lord for a wife to share his life with. When he arrived in town to purchase supplies, he spotted Angel. He knew she was the one the Lord had for him, and the fact that she was a prostitute, and he a godly man, didn’t deter him at all.

It was difficult to watch Angel choose abuse over and over again rather than the love of a godly, patient man. But isn’t that what Israel did? Isn’t that what we often do? Choose to follow a path of temptation and sin when the Lord offers us every good and perfect gift instead? This movie may be based off of the book of Hosea and the Lord’s relationship with Israel, but it’s very relevant for us today.

The acting was superb, the photography beautifully done, and the story of redemption inspiring.

I give it five out of five stars.

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