It’s really too bad that the producers of Fireproof didn’t get wind of Music for the Soul’s documentary Somebody’s Daughter: A Journey to Freedom from Pornography.  At the core of Alex Kendrick’s latest fictional tale of the Christian man’s struggle toward spiritual wholeness is Caleb Holt’s all-too realistic struggle with porn addiction.

Somebody’s Daughter offers the testimonies of four ministry leaders whose lives had been laid waste by such an addiction.  The “first act” of John Evans’ 62-minute film details how these men—and their wives—came to the point of knowing they were hooked.  The second act, after a brief interlude, lays out God’s solution for deliverance: one tough and humiliating row to hoe, but oh! so much better than the alternative, which is to capitulate to bondage and secrecy for good.

Released on DVD in September of last year, right about the time that Fireproof came out, Somebody’s Daughter would have been a great resource to offer men convicted of their own sin by Kendrick’s fictional Caleb.  With the release of Fireproof on DVD this month, however, now is an excellent time to recommend Fireproof and Somebody’s Daughter as a dynamic one-two punch.

As a one-time porn addict myself, I can attest to the heartbreaking reality of these testimonies—and to the fact that Siler “gets it.”  As producer Steve Siler has remarked in promotional materials for the DVD:

Most would say that the mannequin displays and posters at a certain lingerie store in the mall are not pornography. Most would say that the annual swim suit issue of a certain sports magazine is not pornography. Most would say that the highly sexualized music videos on the cable channels are not pornography. Yet all of these things contribute to a climate where pornography seems less threatening.  And by the way, all of the above would have been considered pornographic just 50 years ago.

Sex has doubled on TV since 1998. And we all know anything goes on the Internet. One missionary said after being away from America for two years she was horrified at how far our culture had slid in this area. What seems incremental or even unnoticeable when you live in a culture every day apparently looks quite different after some separation.

Having said all of that, let me specifically answer this question. The American Heritage Dictionary defines pornography as “Sexually explicit pictures, writing or other material whose primary purpose is to cause sexual arousal.”

Something is an addiction when it controls you, when it disrupts your life to the point where you can’t keep from thinking about it or acting on it. Someone who is looking at pornography at work even though they know that it could get them fired; a husband who is risking his marriage and his family over pixels on a screen—these are signs that one might be addicted.

If someone is regularly using pornography and hiding it, then they are either addicted or on their way to being addicted.

Many might think that the husbands—and one wife!—who appear in this documentary are quite brave for “coming out” about their sin.  After all, as one of them points in the film, even ministry leaders (such as I also was while in the throes of addiction) believe that confession of sin will automatically lead to expulsion from ministry.  Yet those who have been delivered see nothing brave at all in confession: they know that it is, instead, the essential liberating step to a godly solution.  John’s first epistle makes this point very clearly.  If we will confess our sins—not just to God, but also to our brothers and sisters in Christ—our Father is faithful to deliver us.  It just may take a long, long time, as He sees fit.

The heartbreak and long-term damage of porn addiction is clearly on display here, particularly as songwriter John Mandeville and his wife Shelli recount John’s confession and its aftermath.  The parasite of pornography leaves deep rifts that require a mountain of healing that only God can provide.  Into that rift steps this DVD, and the accompanying CD of songs and additional testimonies.  But this is all merely a first step.

According to the film’s producers,

Music for the Soul’s issue-specific recordings and videos are designed to melt the walls of defense and build bridges of trust by creating songs that resonate with the life experiences of people who have felt as if nobody understands. Multimedia resources produced by the ministry are used by churches, pastors, counselors and lay leaders to promote the discussion and healing of life’s most painful issues. The CDs and DVDs also can be used by individuals facing the issues explored in the recordings for encouragement, healing and as a powerful reminder of God’s love and grace.

Impressively, the DVD’s liner notes also responsibly point out that movies and music are “not a substitute for qualified professional counseling.”  That’s a sound reminder for a quick-fix-obsessed and entertainment-saturated culture.

While technically this isn’t the most accomplished documentary I’ve ever seen, I doubt you’ll be too put off by Evans’ sometimes-clunky cuts and camera work.  Ultimately, the disjointed style helps to convey the ways in which porn has disrupted and damaged these lives.  Ultimately, the subject matter—and the honesty and directness with which it is communicated—should more than compensate for whatever quibbles one might have with the filmmaking.

Somebody’s Daughter is available at Amazon.com, as well as through Christian Cinema, and may also be available at your local Christian bookstore.  Music for the Soul’s website also offers workbooks for study groups.

Somebody’s Daughter is unrated, but imagine the MPAA wouldn’t slap it with anything more than a PG.  I really can’t imagine sitting down and watching this film with kids, though, even if there’s nothing specifically offensive in the content.  Save this for a private sit-down with your spouse, and get a sitter for the kids if you want this film to have its maximum effect.

Courtesy of a national publicist, Greg screened a promotional copy of Somebody’s Daughter on DVD.