A Tale of Three Fathers
Most faith-based films tend to stay in a very safe, suburban bubble. Beautifully Broken is a bit of an outlier because it forces that suburban bubble to pop by crashing it into the reality of the 1994 Rwandan genocide. The film follows three men: a Rwandan father fleeing the massacre, a man caught in the Rwandan prison system, and an American father whose family is falling apart in a completely different, 'first-world problem' kind of way.
What makes this work—and what makes it a 'Screenwise' recommendation despite the middling IMDb score—is the way it handles interconnectedness. It’s a great tool for showing kids that their lives aren't lived in a vacuum. The choices made by a family on the other side of the globe can ripple out and affect someone in a completely different culture.
The 'Faith' Factor
If you’re a family that avoids religious content, be aware: this movie is unapologetic about its Christian worldview. Forgiveness isn't just a psychological tool here; it's presented as a spiritual mandate. However, unlike some of the more 'cringe' entries in the genre, the acting is competent and the production value is high enough that it doesn't feel like a lecture on a green screen.
Historical Context
This is a fantastic entry point for talking about the Rwandan genocide. It doesn't go full Hotel Rwanda in terms of the visceral horror, but it doesn't look away either. It’s a good middle-ground for a middle-schooler or high-schooler to start understanding that specific chapter of history without being totally traumatized by the imagery. If your kid is into history or social justice, this will likely land much better than a standard teen rom-com.
