Echoes of Innocence (2005)

User Rating:

4.7/10   

Director:

N. Todd Sims

Writer:

N. Todd Sims (writer)

Genre:

Romance | Thriller

Plot:

A contemporary high school girl hears voices and sees visions like Joan of Arc. She is torn between her commitment to a long-lost first love and her growing feelings for another. |

Awards:

3 wins

Cast

Sara Simmonds	...	Sarah
Jake McDorman	...	Dave
Natalie Jones	...	Beth (as Natali Jones)
Matt Vodvarka	...	Alec
Cody Linley	...	Christopher
Madison Walls	...	Young Sarah
Nadir Akram	...	Robert
Rolanda Brigham	...	Kinion
Benjamin Dane	...	Connely
Matt DeVinney	...	Matt
Hector Escalante	...	Hector
Julie Rankin	...	Katy
Scottie Wilkison	...	Grandma
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Anna Beddingfield	...	Ashley
Tyler Farris	...	Boy at shooting (as Tyler Bucky)
Bobby Gaston	...	Leaf Boy
Wayne Geyer	...	Deputy
Katie Heron	...	Suzanne
Elizabeth Holmen	...	Student
Tom Imber	...	Lead Paramedic
Dell Johnson	...	Coach
Tiffany Khamphinuwat	...	Girl at party
Sheila Landahl	...	French Teacher
Linda J. Park	...	Girl at Party
Jason Parrott	...	Extra
Lewis Parry	...	Buck
Lee Ritchey	...	Journalism Teacher
Brad Sayles	...	Extra
Jeff Spradlin	...	Extra
Angel Velasco	...	Josh
Victoria Wessels	...	Crystal

Also Known As:

The Virgin (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for sexual content, violence and thematic issues.

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Certification:

USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Flower Mound, Texas, USA

Bad, and Humorously So

Echoes of Innocence is one of the worse movies I've seen in a long time. Not as bad as Broken Flowers (don't go see it), but still bad. Where to begin... Let's start with the good elements. That won't take long. First off, the two lead actors, Sara Simmonds and Jake McDormand, are pretty good. They do a good job of conveying emotions and making the characters sympathetic, despite the completely unrealistic characters they're given to work with. Also, the technical film-making was decent, and there were no major cinematography problems. The soundtrack was good for the movie--it's not too intrusive, but it helps to set the mood.

Now for the bad parts. The acting of every other character in the movie is simply terrible. Sometimes it's so bad it's funny. Alec, the main villain, is horrible. He's so over-the-top evil that you can't take him seriously. Every time he appears, the movie becomes downright laughable. You can't blame the actor entirely, though. The writing was awful, too, so he didn't have a lot to work with. Another example is the overly psychotic mother, who seems to belong in a mental hospital rather than a trailer. Also, the grandmother is unbelievably complacent and mindless. She sits and watches T.V. at all times. Yet, from what the mother says, she's very industrious when it comes to cover-ups.

Beyond the characters, there's also the awful story. I can't say much without spoiling the movie, but there are many horrible flaws in the plot. One major thread is ignored at the end, and the explanations for the entire movie are just stupid. The idea of two twelve-year-olds making this oath is just wrong. Getting married as soon as you possibly can so that you can lose your virginity isn't something the church should support. Saving your virginity may be a good thing--that's not my moral position, but I may be wrong--but pledging to wait only 'til you're 18, and then get married to the first guy you ever liked isn't the right thing to do.

The beginning is awful. The ending is awful. But, there's a good chunk in the middle where you think things might end up OK, and for that, which made it bearable to sit through this movie, I give it a 4 instead of a 1. After all, it couldn't possibly be as bad as Broken Flowers.