A “Beautifully Broken” World in the True Story of Three Unlikely Families

How far will a dad go to save his family? How can a teenage daughter express her deepest nightmares and free herself from the bondage of the past? What makes a man leave his entire family in a war-torn country and follow “God’s calling” to build a new life he cannot yet see? These are three primary questions that “Beautifully Broken,” based on a true life story, answers. With major actors such as Scott William Winters (“Lethal Weapon” television series), Benjamin Onyango (“God’s Not Dead,”) and renowned Christian artists Toby McKeehan and Michael W. Smith, “Beautifully Broken” is a dramatic display of God’s miracle when hope seems lost among three families, whose lives intersect across the globe.

This riveting, action-packed, suspenseful, yet delicate, movie is full of life lessons that apply to families and friends.

From the 1994 Rwandan Genocide, characterized by the Hutu majority attacking Tutsis, to an American horror tale of a spiritually-broken family, “Beautifully Broken” will teach its audience that God’s transformative forgiveness and restoration works beyond all kinds of borders, breaking all kinds of physical, spiritual or relational barriers to bring about His goodness. The movie demonstrates that no matter how broken you are or how hopeless your situation seems, whether you live in a hut or a mansion, God’s supernatural orchestration and fatherly love can restore darkened minds and broken hearts.

The movie begins with the Rwandan genocide when William Mwizerwa (Benjamin A. Onyango), a successful coffee business man, and his family make efforts to preserve their lives from the bloodshed in Kigali, Rwanda, only to find themselves cornered by Hutu rebels. At the same time in a small farm in Murambi, Rwanda, Hutu soldiers force Mugenzi (Bonko Khoza), a Tutsi father, to leave his wife and daughter to join them after slaughtering their neighbors before their eyes as a threat. Simultaneously, in Nashville, Tenn., Randy Hartley (Scott William Winters), a wealthy American financial planner celebrates his daughter’s birthday in style, while cherishing his God-given family. Unfortunately they become spiritually and emotionally separated due to his daughter Andrea’s childhood molestation by a stranger.

Despite this seeming imbalance of fortune, these families share a common beauty – the innocence and power of a loving family. Yet, their common brokenness becomes evident. While the lengths at which these fathers go to protect their families draws them away, viewers witness God’s restorative hand through unexpected events.

William meets Randy at church and his wise influence on Randy’s family empowers Andrea to trust her parents. This leads both families back to Rwanda where the climactic end of this story will leave the audience in a renewed awe of who God is, how we achieve true freedom and what the powerful nature of forgiveness is in the most unlikely of situations.

The movie’s theme reminds us we are all humans in need of Christ, and any brokenness can be restored.

While its makers call it “a small budget movie with a big heart,” it will make a life-changing impression on your heart if you see it with the readiness to see God and receive hope – a powerful force in a time of crisis. The movie also teaches strong, uncompromising family values, such as spending more time with your children while caring for their mental, physical, emotional and spiritual needs.

As exemplified by William, even in crisis, if we teach children the way they should go, when they are old, they will not depart from it (Proverbs 22: 6). They hold on to their roots to guide them through life’s torturous struggles – a value that Andrea’s family learns the hard way.

Altogether with tear-dropping victories, this movie is emotionally indulging, yet powerfully provokes critical thinking on the indispensable importance of strong fatherhood and the power of love in a marriage that holds the family together no matter what crisis occurs.

“Beautifully Broken” will open in theaters August 24. It is rated PG-13 for some violence and thematic content. For more information and to find a theater near you, visit beautifullybrokenmovie.com.

Lydia Hicks serves as editorial assistant at Good News and is a graduate of the Bob Schieffer College of Communication at Texas Christian University. She can be reached at [email protected].

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