Intended for parents and loved ones who have lost a family member or close friend to suicide, this guidance program centers on the stories of two mothers, Kay Warren and Marjorie Antus, whose adult children took their own lives. Roman Catholic priest and author Ronald Rolheiser offers insights into the grieving process and reassurances for the Christian faithful who are trying to reconcile the Bible’s teachings with the negative implications of suicide. Author, teacher, and co-founder of Saddleback Church, Warren describes her son Matthew’s long battle with depression and other mental health issues before he finally ended his life at age 27. And Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites member and author Antus talks about her surprise when her daughter Mary—a young woman—took her own life. Both mothers look back on their anguish and struggles during the grieving process and explain how they came to terms with their children’s deaths, how faith was a comfort, and how they now celebrate their children’s lives, remembering the special people they were. While this film lacks diversity—only telling the stories of two individuals—Father Rolheiser adds breadth with discussions of his counseling experiences and his belief that suicide is an illness that removes people’s ability to make a free choice. Compassionate, emotional, and hopeful, Reclaiming Life aims to remove the religious stigma associated with suicide while also providing healing for Christians coping with loss and bereavement. Recommended. Aud: P. (T. Root)
Reclaiming Life: Faith, Hope, and Suicide Loss
(2018) 90 min. DVD: $69.95. Paraclete Press (avail. from most distributors). PPR. ISBN: 978-1-64060-063-8. Volume 33, Issue 4
Reclaiming Life: Faith, Hope, and Suicide Loss
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.