Celia Rivenbark: 'Sound of Freedom' ticket helps the filmmakers, not the victims

As soon as I read Mrs. Matt Gaetz urged a boycott of the Barbie movie because it demeans “alpha” men (snicker), I realized I had to see it. My friend and I donned our prettiest pink dresses and joined a full theater for some retro fun with a modern-day message. Thanks Mrs. Matt Gaetz!

While most people trust Rotten Tomatoes and reliable friends for movie recs, I trusteth mine enemies the most. If they hate it, chances are I’m going to love it. And vice versa.

Which is why I probably won’t see “Sound of Freedom.” I’m not saying the movie is bad. Remember? I haven’t seen it. What I am saying is too many of the people gushing about it on social media are fans of Trump, QAnon and RFKrackpot Jr.

Oh, and the film’s star repeatedly reminds us there is a secret cabal of rich folk that is snatching up children so they can drain their blood

and harvest anti-aging chemicals from it for their personal use. Pizzagate anyone?

I only wish the folks who are so fired up all of a sudden about human trafficking, which is a worldwide horror, would skip the movie and instead take that $10-$15 movie ticket money (not to mention the $15 popcorn and $8 Coke) and donate it to a reputable, vetted organization that’s actually doing something about it.

Radical, I know.

The child trafficking, in particular, seems to line up with the anti-woke, prepper wing of the far right. The outrage is completely justified. But here’s what I don’t get: “Sound of Freedom” was completed in 2018 and sat on the shelf for lack of funds to distribute. Why didn’t the producers rush over a director’s cut to the White House where the ex-president maintained a pretty sweet screening room? With his backing, funding would’ve been all but assured.

Last week, I watched an interview with the film’s star, Jim (“I’m not crazy, YOU’RE crazy”) Caviezel on Fox & Friends, where even Brian Kilmeade appeared surprised by Caviezel’s blustery pronouncement at the end of their chat. Turns out he’d shown the movie to Trump at his home in New Jersey the night before and the ex-prez loved it! Caviezel, who played Jesus in “The Last Temptation of Christ” a few years back, wasn’t done yet, telling the Foxy Friends: “I’m still Jesus but Donald Trump is the new Moses!”

OK, you’re not Jesus, Jimmy. At best, you’re the World’s Okayest Actor. And Trump is Moses? You big silly. That was Charlton Heston. But seriously. Moses? The same one who led his people to the Promised Land and out of slavery? (Where, to be fair, they most likely acquired a number of valuable life skills such as blacksmithing and manna retrieval if you ask a certain Florida governor so yay slavery!)

While I haven’t seen “Sound of Freedom,” I have, thanks to YouTube, watched Caviezel’s long and teary plea during the film’s credits to … buy more tickets to the movie. You might think this would be the place to ask for donations to one of the many four-star charities working to stop trafficking around the world but no. Just buy more tickets. That’s more money for…the filmmakers.

More is surfacing about how the movie has not so much stretched the truth as placed it in a microwave wrapped in foil, dropped it from a tall building and forced it to wear an unflattering housecoat.

The truth is out there, as a certain TV supernaturalist used to say. Human trafficking and specifically child sex trafficking is the lowest form of human depravity. But is the solution to throw money at the filmmakers in an attempt to feel like you’ve “done something”?

I think for all the good that did you might as well have joined me for “Barbie.”

Celia Rivenbark is a NYT-bestselling author and columnist. Write to her at celiarivenbark@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Celia Rivenbark: 'Sound of Freedom' ticket helps filmmakers, not victims