Reviewed by Theresa Harvard Johnson
Were it not for a very dear friend, I might have missed the release of this powerful film entitled, Closure: A Documentary About Adoption. Even if you have seen adoption-based documentaries before, you will want to watch this one. It conveys the search for birth parents in a way that honors life and respects choice. In the following review, I will share the elements of this film that still linger in my heart.
Closure follows the journey of a young woman named Angela who is seeking her birth parents. At the very beginning of the film, we learn that she was placed with a large, multiracial Caucasian family who raised her in love and are now walking with her through the process.
In Angela’s narrative, we learn that she was well loved. Then, we are introduced to this seemingly well-rounded, focused young woman who desires to fill in the missing pieces of her life – answering all of those unanswered questions that can travel through the mind of an adopted child. Viewers are taken on a highly emotional, life-altering search that overflows into opportunities for forgiveness, healing, reconciliation and redemption for all involved.
What makes this film superbly unique, at least from my perspective, is that Angela and all those assisting her stay focused on the task at hand – finding her birth parents. Viewers do not have to sit through accusations, cruel finger pointing or fault finding missions. For me, this is REFRESHING. While obvious and genuine tension exists in some scenes, it is presented to the viewer naturally and in great taste. Best of all, Angela and her family never succumb to creating, introducing or perpetuating the kind of conflict or chaos that could arise in these types of journeys and that is sensationalized in many films. It’s amazing sometimes that people believe that this specific kind of conflict is what sells or that this is what everyone wants to watch.
This documentary proves otherwise. It shows that a documentary can be powerful when its based solely on presenting objective truths that are heard and observed by the viewer and listener. In other words, we are not “TOLD” how to think.
Viewers will quickly see, through exceptional filmography, that the producer is very deliberate in what is captured and shared. It is with this same approach that Angela deliberately sets out to share “her story” – and respectfully ensures that she is not telling the story of anyone else. In doing so, the journey strengthens, encourages, edifies and gives hope. As Angela’s story unfolds, we also see a conscious effort to respect, honor and preserve the dignity of everyone involved and to operate in a very notable, tangible level of grace that would later release the opportunity for forgiveness, healing and restoration that extends far beyond the adoptee.
Very few adoption documentaries that I have seen have been this forthcoming, tasteful and authentic. When the final credits began to roll, I not only had great compassion and a high expectation for Angela’s continuing journey; but I also had an equally intense passion and empathy for the journey of her birth parents, adoptive parents and siblings.
I cannot end this review without noting another plus for this documentary. Viewers are able to see that multiracial adoptions can work – as they are not always about race, but about the heart’s capacity to love. If ever there was a hidden story in the midst of this project, that was one of them. Closure was the perfect title for this film and it overly delivered. Angela was not the only who needed CLOSURE. If you watch it, you will see that variances of closure came to many of those invested in Angela’s life. It proves that the search, along with all the emotions and questions in between, can be handled with great maturity, compassion and self-control.
This film is as much about Angela’s story; as it is about sharing lessons on how to navigate one’s search for their birth parents. While adoption is indeed the focus, there are messages here for foster children as well — especially as it relates to setting and handling expectations. Of all the films I have seen on this subject, I recommend this one above them all. In a simple phrase I simply say: “Well done.”
For more information, visit closuredocumentary.com.
