Jim Caviezel Responds To Critics Attempting To Lampoon ‘Sound Of Freedom’: “They’re Scared”
John F. Trent
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Actor Jim Caviezel, who plays Tim Ballard in the Angel Studios’ distributed Sound of Freedom, recently responded to critics who are trying to lampoon the film.
Jim Caviezel as Tim Ballard in Sound of Freedom (2023), Angel Studios
The film has come under attack from Miles Klee at Rolling Stone who derides the people he allegedly saw the film with in the theaters writing, “the mostly white-haired audience around me could be relied on to gasp, moan in pity, mutter condemnations, applaud, and bellow “Amen!” at moments of righteous fury, as when Ballard declares that “God’s children are not for sale.” They were entranced by what they clearly took for a searing exposé. Not even the occasional nasty coughing fit — and we had no shortage of those — could break the spell.”
Not only does Klee go after moviegoers, but he also attempts to tear down the film, “As implausible as the movie is — it invents a finale where Ballard journeys deep into a jungle alone to pluck a girl from the clutches of guerrilla militants, which he accomplishes by posing as a doctor distributing cholera vaccines — one wonders if it was extreme enough for Caviezel’s liking.”
Sound of Freedom (2023), Angel Studios
In response to this clear attack from Klee and others like him, Caviezel appeared alongside Alejandro Monteverde during a Q&A session with Angel Studios Chief Content Officer Jeff Harmon.
After Harmon noted this is a victory for the film and noting that “they can’t ignore this issue,” Caviezel responded, “They’re scared. Quaking in their boots and it’s because the public are listening to their hearts, which is what this film tells you do.”
“When there is evil, real evil in the world, and when love is in your heart, boy, evil is just a coward to God,” he added.
Jim Caviezel as Tim Ballard in Sound of Freedom (2023), Angel Studios
Monteverde then added, “One thing that’s amazing is, you know, we make movies for the audience. And I understand, you know, the critics world, but I like to focus on the audience, and the audience are responding. They’re the most important for us as filmmakers, as storytellers, and the audience are giving us 100% and that’s where I want to stay.”
He then shared a story he heard from the film’s producer Eduardo Verástegui, “When an eagle is flying and the crows go behind, like they come in packs and they go behind the eagle to try to put her down with their weight, the eagle instead of fighting the crows, what the eagle does is continues to fly higher because eagles can actually breathe with less oxygen. So they go really, really, really high. They continue to fly high and then the crows instead of fighting them, the crows just completely [fall off] because of lack of oxygen.”
Monteverde then related it to the film’s criticism, “I like that symbolism. Instead of fighting any negativeness or anything, they just keep flying up. Let’s keep going.”
Eduardo Verástegui as Paul in Sound of Freedom (2023), Angel Studios
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When Harmon brought up that negative reviews of the film feature Caviezel’s personal beliefs and his politics, Caviezel responded, “It’s really funny when they don’t like my politics because my politics are the Constitution of the United States.”
He continued, “I want everybody to be free under the Constitution of the United States with inalienable rights including unborn and born children. They have a right. And that’s why we are not NAZI Germany. This is ridiculous.”
Yessica Borroto Perryman as Katy-Gisselle in Sound of Freedom (2023), Angel Studios
“What they say about me is really none of my business,” Caviezel said. “Not when you have children, now. You don’t care anymore and you realize what we’re gonna leave them.”
“So this is our Concord Bridge except it’s not coming with a bullet, it’s coming with a film. And Sound of Freedom is that. It is that freedom,” he concluded.
Jim Caviezel as Tim Ballard and Javier Godino as Jorge in Sound of Freedom (2023), Angel Studios
What do you make of Caviezel’s response to so-called critics like Klee?
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