By REY FLORES
“I see you dressed in white. Every wrong made right. I see a rose in bloom. At the sight of you (oh so priceless). Irreplaceable, unmistakable, incomparable. I see it all in you (oh so priceless).”
The above are the closing lyrics for the song Priceless by country duo For King & Country, which is part of the inspiration for a new motion picture about a troubled young widower and father who rediscovers God in a very unconventional way.
The film’s promotional materials describe this film as “inspired by true stories,” but then again, with the possible exception of science fiction or fantasy films, most movies are inspired by true stories.
The “true stories” in this case revolve around the harrowing topic of the pervasive prostitution rings which destroy many lives and the innocence of many young women and girls. In this case, the rings particularly involve illegal immigrant girls.
While it is not explicitly implied that the two young Mexican sisters in the film are here illegally, not many people are transported in the back of a U-Haul truck with a bucket toilet otherwise.
At the beginning of the film there’s a quick series of scenes when we learn that leading man, James Stevens, once had an idyllic life with a pretty young wife and a little daughter he doted upon. Quickly we see his life unravel with the death of his young wife, his inability to keep a job because of that, and his eventually having to give up custody of his little girl to his own mother.
Stevens is played by musician — and one-half of the country duo For King & Country — Joel Smallbone, who dominates the screen with his unusually striking good looks, hipster hair, and armful of tattoos.
Unable to keep a steady gig, Stevens takes on a hauling job to make a one-way trip with a U-Haul truck, no questions asked. Little does he know that the cargo he is carrying is two young Mexican women who are living in filth for an undetermined amount of time as they are being transported to the local neighborhood pimp.
Stevens makes this unusual discovery after a near head-on collision that forces him off the road. With the dust still flying everywhere, Stevens shakes off the near-accident shock, examines the truck, and hears cries and whimpering from the cargo box.
Imagine his surprise: He proceeds to break the lock off and discovers sisters Antonia and Maria, two sisters who later reveal that they were brought to the United States to help pay off a debt for their father by coming here to “work.” Little did they know that the work they were expected to perform was not cleaning houses or doing child care.
In a variety of ways, the importance of relationships between fathers and daughters permeates the story through memory flashbacks, subtle conversations and missed opportunities, phone calls and broken promises of visits that never happened.
Fathers must always love their daughters more than any other man will in their lives, because if we don’t, they will run to the first man who will tell them he loves them more than anyone else. More often than not, it’s the wrong man who will tell them that.
Ultimately the characters in this film, and I hope the audience viewing this film as well, will rediscover that God the Father is our ultimate father who has deemed us as priceless in His eyes, and no one can ever tell us otherwise.
Human trafficking and prostitution are two of the most horrible realities of our society. This film presents this subject matter in a sanitized way for larger audiences, without sharing anything explicit or gratuitous. The reality of it is so much more horrid, but for the message this film aims to deliver, it was not necessary to share any of the really ugly details. Regardless, this film is probably best for teens 14 years of age and up, and, of course, adults.
Prostitution is often called the world’s oldest profession, and if that is so, that makes lust man’s oldest vice and sin. We men must take responsibility for the pervasiveness of pornography, prostitution, and the overall objectification of women everywhere, and hold accountable any men we may know who continue to go down any of those paths.
A woman’s womb is the precious place where God chose to create human life, so when we hurt a woman’s body, particularly her life-giving parts, we are attempting to defile and destroy that most sacred of places where God brought us all into this world.
Priceless is a great film and I would highly recommend it. The acting by all was top-notch, with a special nod to actresses Bianca Santos and Amber Midthunder as the two young sisters who never lost faith in God despite their dire predicament.
In addition to being a great film, the Priceless project goes beyond that and encourages us to further see how we can help provide help and hope for young women who may get caught up in the evil web of prostitution. The PricelessTheMovie.com website also features educational resources for church and youth group leaders to share with the young people they minister to help them avoid the traps that often lead them to these evil prostitution rings.
Roadside Attractions presents Priceless in association with For King & Country. A Radiate Film Production of a Smallbone Brothers Film, it is now playing. Visit www.PricelessTheMovie.com to watch the trailer and for more details.
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(Rey Flores is a Catholic writer and speaker and can be contacted at reyfloresusa@gmail.com.)
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