Faultless: The American Orphan

This look at Christian faith-based adoption is designed to explore the topic and spark dialogue among churches, small groups, and others responding to the biblical call to be “defenders of the fatherless.” The grim stats—documenting how tough life can be on children who are never adopted—will surely give viewers pause regardless of personal religious beliefs. Faultless presents a clear look at a complex subject through interviews with adoptive parents, agency workers, church leaders, and the kids themselves. The interviewees are honest; during one self-introduction, a man says that while his wife is 100 percent in favor of adding to their family, he is “not quite there yet.” The conversation between the two helps frame the realities that families face in making a decision, and the often accompanying struggle between heart and head. On the potential adoptee side, a Native American young man, close to “aging out of the system,” wanted to be adopted but failed to gain the required approval of tribal elders; his simple testimony is heartbreaking. Filmmaker Jesse Lavender presents a number of moving stories, with many of the adults here feeling a divine hand guiding them towards the youngsters they would take home. That's not to say that Faultless presents a “bowl of cherries” view: there are ups and downs, but the rewards outweigh the drawbacks for those called here to adoptive parenthood. Recommended. Aud: P. (C. Block)