You can probably just look at the title and guess what is going on with this 2009 faith-based film.

Sarah Collins (Rebecca St. James) is pregnant and she’s thinking about getting an abortion.  She doesn’t feel that she’s ready to become a mother.  Her quasi-boyfriend works in the same office that she does and, at first, he seems more interested in just hanging out with the boys than actually doing anything that would indicate he would be a good father.  Sarah is up for a promotion at work and, as her best friend (Andrea Logan White) is quick to point out, the bosses aren’t going to promote a woman who might put her family before her job.

On the other hand, Sarah keeps having visions of herself in the future, married and with a daughter who loves her.  Sarah’s sister-in-law (Staci Keanan) talks about how much she loves being a mother.  A local minister (Dick Van Patten) gently suggests that God might be trying to tell Sarah something.  Sarah realizes that her best friend is hardly an unbiased observer when it comes to Sarah’s choice.  Plus, the film takes place during the Christmas season.  There’s happiness and joy everywhere!

As you probably guessed, this is an anti-abortion movie.  That said, as far as faith-based anti-abortion movies go, it’s actually a bit more fair-minded than one might expect.  Sarah struggles with her decision and the film is at least willing to take Sarah’s concerns seriously, as opposed to just portraying her as being either selfish or immature (which is the usual path that most anti-abortion films take).  One character expresses regret for her own past abortion but, again, the film treats the character fairly.  It may not seem like much but compared to something like Allison’s Choice, which featured Jesus Christ showing up and then breaking into tears while standing in an abortion clinic, Sarah’s Choice is downright moderate in its storytelling.

The truth of the matter is that there really aren’t that many subtle films made about abortion, on either side of the debate.  Yes, pro-life films tend to be heavy-handed and too quick to villainize those who feel differently.  But the same can be said of most pro-abortion films as well.  Abortion is one of those issues that tends to bring out the extremists on both sides.  When you see a film like Sarah’s Choice — a film in which no one is accused of committing murder and no one attempts to bomb anyone else — it’s almost a relief, even if you don’t agree with the film’s overall message.

Rebecca St. James gives a sympathetic performance as Sarah and Andrea Logan White brings so much-needed nuance to the role of her best friend.  Dick Van Patten, with his friendly manner and nonjudgmental attitude, is the ideal counselor.  Sarah’s Choice is not a film that is going to win any converts and I imagine that people who are far more politically-minded than me will find a lot to get annoyed about with this movie.  I think that, overall, it’s well-acted and well-made.  It’s a movie not a manifesto.