I absolutely adored this movie. A lot of people don't believe that some people can see and hear voices and be sane. However, clairvoyance and clairaudience does exist and is very real. You hear about false psychics on TV but you also hear about the legitimate ones and ancient cultures who have survived on the words of their chieftains and their medicine men in the belief that they, along with their visions came from God. If anyone doubts this statement then said persons have forgotten that even the Bible says "Men and women will prophesy." As far as remaining a virgin until marriage, that too is realistic. I waited 'til I was 25 and I have no regrets. To those who have said, "This movie isn't Christian," you missed the point. This entire movie was about faith in God, in a belief, in another person, and in oneself despite persecutions from her mother and the Alec character and the basic struggles in life. This movie was very well done, well written and the actors played magnificently. Anyone who hates this film over-analyzed it way too much and couldn't grasp the sweet simplicity of the message. One more thing, Sarah would have lost her visions and the angelic voices had she had sex with the exception of marriage being first. By waiting to be married before having sex Sarah didn't lose her visions nor did she lose her angelic connections with Him.

Perhaps in the genre of "A Beautiful Mind" "Echoes of Innocence" captures the intensity of teenagers caught in the whirlwind of their passions, hopes, and conflicts. Using beautiful, mysterious and powerful visuals "Echoes" enters the intensity of one girl's emotions, Sara, and her search for meaning, love, and a faith that endures. Especially in the climax where events become dangerous and murky, director Todd Simms evokes the dramatic complexities projected by the Swedish icon and film director, Ingmar Bergmann.The typical milieu of teenage life is revealed in "Echoes" with basketball practices and locker room schemes, parties, drama practice, lunchtime in the cafeteria, and classroom life. In the mixed bag of best confidences and betrayals, guys looking to carve many notches on their belts, girls looking for romance and excitement, one girl tries to swim above the tide and not get pulled down into the fierce current of sex and intrigue. That girl, Sara Jenkins, experiences all the temptations of a normal high school coed and yet she doesn't succumb. How and why she does this forms the plot of "Echoes of Innocence."Non-dorky and compelling Sara is beautiful inside and out and unwittingly creates a mystique that no one can fully comprehend, not even her only adult friend and confessor, a Catholic priest. Sara believes in God with her whole heart but this is not a Catholic film. She has no "religion", just a strong faith that even inspires her priest to the highest standards. Director Simms is more than a storyteller; he is an artist using common themes in incredibly artistic ways.Sitting on the edge of my chair for the second half, my heart raced as I couldn't figure out how all the plot threads would be woven together. I don't want to rob you of that delicious movie-going torture, of not knowing how it will end. But the way there is probably more important than the end itself. How Sara copes with her dysfunctional mom, uninvolved caretaker grandmother, deceitful best friend, guys on the prowl, and her inner faith is something that should be required viewing and discussing for all 10-18 year olds in America. The rest of us should also see "Echoes" reassured that morals and character are not dead in America.The characters' struggles are felt, not described. Many scenes seem short on dialog because they are filled with subtext and are part of a cinematic world that is much bigger than the particular experience being explored. Whether Sara is fending off unwanted approaches of the macho basketball team, confiding in her best friend or becoming intrigued by the new guy in her class, David, we see real relationships that unfold naturally and we are drawn into each one deeply.

I just returned home from having seen this movie, and I am completely and utterly speechless! I literally feel not only dumber, but downright insulted! This movie does NOT live up to critical standards on ANY ONE level: writing, pacing, directing, acting, music - NOTHING! And please do NOT misunderstand me: I am a Christian. Thus said however, I have to admit I didn't really see anything Christian in this movie - DESPITE the extent to which Christian radio stations have been toting its praises... What are you guys thinking?! Just because you are/become a Christian doesn't mean you entirely turn off your brains, people!! Watching this movie was truly a painful experience: the characters are the EPITOME of one-dimensional, the dialog is horrendous (it sounds as though it were written by a high school freshman), the pacing is disjointed (to the extent that one actually gets annoyed, sitting there trying to follow this thoroughly insipid mess)... And the plot? Seriously, don't even get me started; I'll be sitting here bellyaching for two hours (and thus would STILL be time better spent than watching this "movie" - believe me). "Echoes of Innocence" feels like something that a bunch of high-schoolers threw together for a class project... That is, high-schoolers who were instructed to color within the lines of Catholic dogma.To sum up, this movie was not Christian, not entertaining, NOT good. I wouldn't recommend that ANYONE waste their precious time on it. Go see "The Passion," or the Visual Bible Project's "Gospel of John"... Hell, go anywhere other than to a theater or video store to see "Echoes of IMPRUDENCE!" There goes my $10. I'll miss you, my friend.Well, that's the best I can do right now. The movie deserves much worse, but I am tired and SPENT! Time for bed

Echoes of Innocence is one of the worse movies I've seen in a long time. Not as bad as Broken Flowers (don't go see it), but still bad. Where to begin... Let's start with the good elements. That won't take long. First off, the two lead actors, Sara Simmonds and Jake McDormand, are pretty good. They do a good job of conveying emotions and making the characters sympathetic, despite the completely unrealistic characters they're given to work with. Also, the technical film-making was decent, and there were no major cinematography problems. The soundtrack was good for the movie--it's not too intrusive, but it helps to set the mood.Now for the bad parts. The acting of every other character in the movie is simply terrible. Sometimes it's so bad it's funny. Alec, the main villain, is horrible. He's so over-the-top evil that you can't take him seriously. Every time he appears, the movie becomes downright laughable. You can't blame the actor entirely, though. The writing was awful, too, so he didn't have a lot to work with. Another example is the overly psychotic mother, who seems to belong in a mental hospital rather than a trailer. Also, the grandmother is unbelievably complacent and mindless. She sits and watches T.V. at all times. Yet, from what the mother says, she's very industrious when it comes to cover-ups.Beyond the characters, there's also the awful story. I can't say much without spoiling the movie, but there are many horrible flaws in the plot. One major thread is ignored at the end, and the explanations for the entire movie are just stupid. The idea of two twelve-year-olds making this oath is just wrong. Getting married as soon as you possibly can so that you can lose your virginity isn't something the church should support. Saving your virginity may be a good thing--that's not my moral position, but I may be wrong--but pledging to wait only 'til you're 18, and then get married to the first guy you ever liked isn't the right thing to do.The beginning is awful. The ending is awful. But, there's a good chunk in the middle where you think things might end up OK, and for that, which made it bearable to sit through this movie, I give it a 4 instead of a 1. After all, it couldn't possibly be as bad as Broken Flowers.