"You saw me before I was born." Psalm 139:16 (NLT)
As the curtain rises, Hannah hesitantly steps onto the stage for her theatrical debut in college. Yet before she can utter her first lines, Hannah—unscripted—collapses in front of the stunned audience.
After countless medical tests, all signs point to one underlying factor: Hannah's difficult birth. This revelation is nothing compared to what she then learns from her parents: she was actually adopted... after a failed abortion attempt.
Bewildered, angered, and confused, Hannah turns for support to Jason, her oldest friend. Encouraged by his adventurous spirit, Hannah joins his group of friends on a Spring Break road trip, embarking on a journey to discover her hidden past … and find hope for her unknown future.
In the midst of her incredible journey, Hannah finds that life can be so much more than what you have planned.
One of the compelling elements of OCTOBER BABY are the incredible songs that help set the tone and mood of the movie, and this fantastic collection--featuring songs by Tenth Avenue North, The Afters, Brandon Heath and more--is now available on iTunes.
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An Emotional Musical Backdrop| Posted April 03, 2012 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Music is what helps tell our story. Often times, artists are able to communicate more in a three-minute song than we are in an endless outpouring of emotion. The melodies that penetrate our senses alongside the words that express how we’re feeling often become the soundtrack to our lives, helping us to walk through the good and the bad, all culminating our life into the beautiful journey it is.
Perhaps this is the reason why the music we hear in movies moves us on such a profound level. Often times, it sets the mood for the story unfolding on the screen and captures our emotions with an intensity the actors on screen are unable to do on their own. It becomes something powerful, something personal, and something we can all understand.
“October Baby” is a brand new faith-based film by Dove Award winning writer/directors Jon and Andy Erwin. The story chronicles the life of a teenage girl named Hannah, who sets off on a journey to find her birth mother after discovering she was adopted and is the product of a botched abortion. That might not sound like a typical plot for a coming-of-age love story, but keep in mind, “October Baby” isn’t your typical movie. While it doesn’t shy away from the haunting aftermath those effected by abortion face, it more than anything, sends an incredible message of love and forgiveness, sharing with the audience that indeed, “every life is beautiful.”
As a moviegoer, I was moved on a deeply profound level by this picture. I’ve never been directly effected by abortion, but it seriously made me stop and think about the sanctity of life, the power of love and beauty of forgiveness--messages we can all stand to be reminded of.
While the plot is breathtaking, the acting is superb and the cinematography is top notch, I’d be lying if I didn’t say that one of the main reasons this film impacted me was because of the beautiful music interwoven into each scene. A song can say so much with so little, such is the case with “October Baby.”
I ran home after seeing the movie and immediately began surfing the web for songs and artists played in the film. To my great delight, I soon discovered that the October Baby Motion Picture Soundtrack would be releasing a few short weeks after the films’ release--chock full of incredible music by bands you already know and love, and a few others you’ll be discovering for the very first time.
Among the list of popular tunes you’ll on this compilation, are “Now More Than Ever” by Brandon Heath and “Hold My Heart” by Tenth Avenue North. Neither song was played during the film, but they both landed coveted spots in the movie trailers and attracted the Christian audience immediately with their familiar melodies.
Chris Sligh plays dual roles in this film, both as an actor (playing the eccentric and lovable character of “B-Mac“) as well a contributing musician with a whopping three songs on the soundtrack, with “Willow Tree” being a track he wrote specifically for the movie.
“Broken (Beautiful),” a tune from his The Anatomy Of Broken project is gonna garner a lot of attention due to its perfect placement in the film, it moving myself and many others to tears as the film came to a triumphant close.
What I love about the music in this movie was that the filmmakers not only gave a shout out to the CCM world, but that they also introduced the audience to some incredible indie artists which they might not have discovered otherwise.
A few of those showcased include “Hesitate” by Steve Moakler, “When A Heart Breaks” by Ben Rector and the wonderful “Where You Are” by Mandi Mapes. Mapes song was one of my favorite and most-played songs on the entire project. Andrew Belle also deserves an honorable mention with the inclusion of three tracks, “Make It Without You” and “My Oldest Friend" being my personal favorites. A highlight I feel deserves to be mentioned is the inclusion of the stunning “Ocean Floor” by singer/songwriter Gianna Jessen. This song holds a personal meaning for the picture, seeing as it was Gianna’s life story that inspired the Erwin Brothers to make the film.
Jessen is a survivor of a saline abortion back in the late 1970s and has had the privilege to speak all over the world to presidents and dignitaries, sharing her story of hope, healing and forgiveness. “Ocean Floor,” written by longtime friend Michael Logan, will be the song everyone will remember from the film with it s passion and moving melody. It sums up the moral of the film wonderfully and sparks curiosity into Jessen’s personal journey. I encourage all of you to look her up and read her amazing story. It takes the film, and the song, to a whole new level.
The standalone on this project for me comes in the from of “Life Is Beautiful,” a song Dove Award winning CCM group The Afters penned just for the movie, playing appropriately during the credits. It takes the tagline of the movie and creates a masterpiece singing out all of the moments we experience in life, both painful and breathtaking, linking to create the beautiful story of living. It is hands down one of the best songs the band has written to date: “A father’s love, a wedding dance, new years dreams, a toast with friends, a solder coming home from war, a faith, a hope for so much more, a brand new life, a mother’s prayer, shooting stars, ocean air, a lovers kiss and hard goodbyes, fireworks, Christmas lights, these are the things that makes us a feel alive…”
Clothing Thoughts: I’m not a movie buff, but it seems to me that the art of soundtracks are slowly dying. Nowadays, it feels like songs are forced into films to fill dead air and carry no real significance to the story. In the case of “October Baby” however, nothing could be farther from the truth. I applaud the crew on the musical end for creating one of the most original soundtracks Hollywood has seen in years, Christian film or not. Each song portrays the setting of the scene perfectly. It’s hard to separate the music from the moment, they truly become one and create the setting for healing to take place in the hearts of the audience.
My only complaint is that I really would have liked to seen the score of the movie included, but regardless, with the meaty material you’ll on this compilation, you’ll have too much to chew on to miss it. The October Baby Motion Picture Soundtrack moved me to tears several times while listening, just as the film did, and yet again, reminded me of the beauty of life. Whether you’ve seen the movie and want a carry a little piece of it with you, or you’re interested in hearing some of these fresh new faces, this is well worth your time and money to give it a listen. You won’t be disappointed.