The Drop Box (2015) User Reviews

Sex education

[jesusistheiam · 8/10 · 9 September 2015]

I gave this an 8 because I value what they are trying to accomplish where society has faltered. Wish there was more coverage of how much their society teaches it's youth about abstinence and contraception as well as the value of life. There is not enough of a system in place to properly take care of the children long enough to get adopted, let alone those who are more special;Maybe because of a poor tax base or greed taking it in instead of proper distribution for society's needs.

It's a wonderful thing that we have the internet to spread the word that certain countries need help, but you'd think that especially the poorer countries would provide more sex education. Having to write a minimum of this many lines encourages redundancy.

such an inspiring documentary.

[snperera · 8/10 · 29 March 2018]

This documentary was so heartbreaking and inspiring. the work this man and his family does is so amazing. He is changing children's lives and I hope he inspires others to adopt children and help children. This is a must see documentary. Even for people who aren't Christian this is a great and inspiring documentary to watch.

A South Korean couple saving unwanted children

[SimonJack · 7/10 · 21 September 2017]

There's no doubt that "The Drop Box" is an inspiring film. Yet, documentaries as well as feature films can be made poorly, very well, or superbly. This one might have been superb but for some things. I watched it at a recent public showing in a church hall. As of the date of my review here, this IMDb page doesn't have details about the characters in the film.

The documentary has many scenes of the lead person, Pastor Lee, and his wife caring for children. We especially see a lot with their two sons, one of whom is severely deformed and the other who was born missing fingers on his hands. And we learn in bits and pieces about their installing a drop box (they call it something else, but I can't recall what that was). This is done by interpreters with short film clips of the couple. And, that's where this documentary falls short. It doesn't give us good details or background information.

It refers to Pastor Lee, but we don't know if he has a church or congregation. It shows their home with a sign, that is apparently the name of their orphanage. We know that they began taking in unwanted handicapped children initially, after their own children were born with physical and mental defects. In time, other unwanted babies were left at their doorstep. But, babies would die in the cold before they might find them. So, they installed a drop box with a bell that would let them know when a baby had been left.

We don't know how Mr. Lee and his wife are able to maintain their orphanage. There's no information about him having a congregation or getting support otherwise.

It's a decent documentary about a decent man and woman who are sacrificing themselves in Seoul, South Korea, for the sake of abandoned and unwanted children. They are doing the charitable service of a Mother Teresa (St. Teresa of Kolkata) in South Korea. Focus on the Family distributed the film.

An Amazing Film About a Selfless Man Dedicated to Helping Unwanted Orphans

[mark-232-62638 · 10/10 · 6 February 2015]

I was fortunate enough to attend a packed premiere for The Drop Box recently at the Santa Monica Performing Arts Center. Pastor Lee and his wife were in attendance and they received a very heartfelt and resounding standing ovation from the more than 600 people in attendance. It's a must see, inspiring film, documenting how one man can make such a huge impact on the lives of the unwanted.

It's definitely a family friendly movie, safe for all to see. The language of the film is mostly in Korean with subtitles, but it is very well done and as you watch the film you forget that they are not speaking in English.

Inspirational!!! Take your family!

[jubilee101 · 10/10 · 4 March 2015]

I was so inspired by this documentary!!! This movie is a documentary for the whole family,suitable for young children. There is musical performance in the beginning. The documentary is actually 1 hr and 19 minutes. There is a panel discussion in the end. We need more movies like this that honors hard work and sacrifice. Pastor Lee and his wife models for us what it means to work hard for those who are forgotten, who may never repay you. What a beautiful picture of unconditional love throughout the film. What a powerful message for our generation. Make sure you bring tissues because I wanted to cry in the first 15 minutes. It definitely made my heart melt seeing all the children. It will challenge your view of what is really important in life. It reminds me that you are never to old to make an impact. This movie might be very Christian, but it is for anyone wants to make a difference.

Emotional Film

[juliasmyname · 10/10 · 4 March 2015]

From the beginning I cried. There were moments during the movie where I gut-laughed, too. Seeing this film made me realize my work as a public servant is vital. I left the theater a changed social worker. My biases left my blood. I healed internally from the trauma I experienced as an orphan. This movie brings it all together. If you wonder why we are all here, this movie gives you answers that will bring you peace and love. Praise God. I thank God for my life. I realize why I am here. I will not give spoilers. I will offer my truest opinion to anyone who reads this review. See this movie. And when you are finished, you will be glad you did. It's an amazing story with many layers. Layers of true love. Unconditional.

Excellent documentary

[joy-other · 10/10 · 5 March 2015]

Brian Ivie did an excellent job telling the story of Pastor Lee's work and presenting facts about the issue of abandoned babies in South Korea. Some people complain that this is "not a movie," and they are right. This is a documentary because the stories involve real people who are still living today.

His style of directing is quirky, youthful, and upbeat. This contrasted the seriousness and gloominess of the topic being discussed, yet highlighted the hopefulness of these lives being saved.

This film/documentary raised awareness between the conservative culture in South Korea with unwed/teenage mothers and the taboo of babies born with disabilities. It really gripped our hearts and pulled the emotions out of us. There was not a dry eye in the house during this movie (sold out show). Well done.

See it to feel it.

[Al_The_Strange · 6/10 · 11 March 2015]

At any given moment somewhere in the world, a mother will abandon her child. There are any number of reasons why this happens, but the end result is tragic, as unwanted infants and newborns are ditched in the street and left to die. In South Korea, over 200 infants were abandoned all over Seoul in 2013. In the absence of any kind of government-run method for accommodating these lost babies, one pastor takes it upon himself to set up a "drop box" for people to leave their unwanted babies, and he takes it from there.

This is definitely news-worthy subject matter that deserves awareness and debate. Controversy exists regarding the morality and responsibility of parents utilizing this system, but the film doesn't spend much time exploring that. The film's focus is simply on the fact that a baby drop box exists, and the film divulges into a more intimate look at pastor Lee Jong-rak and the 15 children he's taken in (among the hundreds he received through the drop box, which are passed to social services). It is quite the sentimental presentation that will flash nonstop baby pictures at you with sappy music in an effort to reach into your chest and yank your heartstrings. However, the film is not all fluff; it does take the time to expose the cold hard truth that mothers have all sorts of reasons to abandon their children (to include social or cultural pressure, which is briefly touched upon), and these children need help to survive. A lot of the children that are abandoned are disabled, and their deformities are shown on-screen to really emphasize their need for attention. Some of the stories that the people tell are pretty rough, and it adds significant emotional weight to the issue.

The film's structure is somewhat random, intermixing stories of pastor Lee, the children, the larger issue, and other aspects together without a specific pattern. Really, the drop box in itself isn't much of a story; it's the human element that makes it stand out, and the film captures it and uses it to emphasize a key Christian message: the idea that all life has a purpose, and deserves to be preserved. The film even goes to far as divulging into how the various saved children are progressing through life, subtly suggesting that even abandoned children can be happy and have a future. One can't help but to admire pastor Lee for his efforts in spite of this (and thankfully, the Christian message is not all that overbearing, even though the sentimentality is).

The film is pretty straightforward. There are a lot of tight close-ups of all the kids' faces. Some shots can be rather herky-jerky and some were out of focus, but most of the film looks okay. Editing is pretty decent; images are cut up effectively to help convey the subject matter well. There are some cheap animated segments that are cute, but ultimately unnecessary. The film itself isn't necessarily groundbreaking, but it gets the job done.

I would say that the film is worthwhile for bringing up awareness of the issue on a wider scale and possibly bringing up talking points. However, the film is most interested in putting human faces on all this, making it emotionally manipulative. I personally would have been more interested in a greater exploration of the social and moral implications of the drop box's usage. If you don't see this film being played at churches or schools or anything, it may be worth a look as a rental sometime (or you could just start reading up on it).

3/5 (Experience: Mixed | Content: Pretty Good | Film: Average)

To all haters including cljtoday

[hlldesign · 10/10 · 4 March 2015]

A documentary isn't always about the "presentation" it's also about the story it tells. So you giving this movie a 1 star tells me you're just a hater. If you gave it a 5 I would of have taken your review in consideration, but seriously 1 star.

I knew about this pastor for many years and he and his wife are truly amazing people. They save unwanted babies with a question, doesn't that deserve at least 3 stars just for the story. What is wrong with you? Wow. Someone's got no empathy.

The reason no one in the audience clapped is because they were in awe. I'm sure the sighs were from yourself and your friends who critique simply things like camera angles and background music and not the story.

Deep, enlightening, pleasant experience, but ruined at the end.

[misterphilipj · 7/10 · 4 March 2015]

I caught this the other day at AMC in Ontario Mills, I was interested because there was a girl in line buying pre-sale tickets and was surprised to see a full house when I walked in to see it.

The film does a fantastic job bringing an important social issue to light, abandoned babies. They cover the social work done by a doctor in Korea, whose vocation was discovered when he himself had a disfigured child born. Rather than killing or abandoning the child which is what I probably would have done, he fostered it with love, and realized that it was his calling.

Before I really didn't feel connected to mentally disabled or handicapped people, I always saw them at a sort of sub-human level due to their lack of intellect or offensive disfigurements. But after this journey it actually made me tear up a little bit during a few scenes, and made me very thankful that there are people and programs out there which support the forgotten. I grew up Catholic but have a non-practicing sort of believer for a while - this movie actually renewed my faith a little bit.

That is until the interview at the end. I suspect they added it because without it the movie seemed like it was only around 1 hour or 1 hour 10 minutes long. It was very forced and ruined everything for me - it turned the movie into a commercial for their abandoned baby cause, repeatingly asking for donations, and the director sharing his Christian conversion story was disgusting because it was self righteous and sounded fake. What made me really hate it is that it was a terrible choice by the production team. They easily could have showed snippets of a one on one interview with the director throughout the movie, sharing his story from atheism to Christianity, without making it too denominational. I really got a "Born again Christian" fundamentalist vibe from the interview group, and as a gay person, I was really turned off. Even if they had to make the interview fake, it's a movie, so they can do whatever they want to make the message more powerful.

Also since the movie obviously wanted a Christian message, they really could have led the story into an expose piece on abortion, since they got us all to care about these babies. If the direction team pulls the post interview or edits it feel free to IMDb message me I'll give it a 10 and change my review.

I still liked the movie, if you want to improve your experience leave the theater when it says "THE END", don't watch the interview at the end.

One of the most inspirational and moving films I have every seen

[gchoo-59866 · 10/10 · 22 December 2015]

I have never been so touched and moved by a film quite like I have by The Drop Box. It is comforting to know there are amazing people out there that gives us all hope and reason. It touches on a topic that many do not discuss, nor have any knowledge about. I did not know about this controversial issue until I watched this film. Pastor Lee and everyone involved helping him raise his children are the true teachers in life, including the children themselves! This is a MUST-SEE film that is truly inspirational. I wish everyone could be as altruistic, unselfish, kind, and benevolent as all the characters are that take part in this amazing movie.

Ho-hum drama with little details and not for children

[ajpoltz · 3/10 · 6 March 2015]

Yea so there is a box for unwanted babies, he made it,he built it by himself, a bell rings when the baby is put inside, repeat this 20 times maybe it helps but no statistics given on that , they have a problem with that in Korea repeat this 20 Xs. We have dropboxes here in the U.S.A. at fire stations too. He has a lot of kids with disabilities, From the dropbox? who knows? You will see endless close-up filming of them repeat 20 Xs. No info on his church or if they are involved. Repetitious with too much close up filming for dramatic effect. Don't take your kids , too ugly and it is all in Korean.Amateurish which is not bad in itself. Adoption is wonderful but it has little to do with this "movie" So this is a quick review as it is not worth more effort for this show.

A powerful documentary

[revsolly · 10/10 · 22 March 2015]

This documentary highlights a problem found way too often, across the globe.

Over the last half a century, mankind has developed a stone heart towards the unborn which, naturally, winds up extended to infants.

This pastor, with little in funding, and at the continued risk to his own health, continues to effect change in the lives of the children he has provided with a viable alternative to abandonment and death.

In Christianity, we speak about letting Christ show through you, letting self disappear so Christ may be seen. This pastor lives that. Not only is that seen in his actions for the children, but in how his actions affected many people involved with this documentary, even the director. This is what putting feet to our faith means and does.

Stephen Curtis Chapman and his wife, have had a heart for helping the unborn and orphans for years. It was wonderful, and only natural, that they would be involved with promoting this film, as well as the involvement of Focus on the Family.

This can be a tough film to watch. The key question afterward is, "What are YOU prepared to do?"

very emotional and motivational film

[raquel-funes · 9/10 · 18 October 2016]

The Drop Box was released on March 3, 2015 by Brian Ivie. Ivie is documenting Pastor Lee's every move that has to do with his drop box. The drop box is defined as," a warm bin, lodged in a wall, that allows mothers to deposit their children without being seen"(Ivie 2016). Pastor Lee is seen as the last hope to various numbers of lives. This documentary gives viewers an insight on why that is and what the drop box truly means. Child abandonment is an act that is highly seen in many impoverished countries. Numerous of people are witnesses to it but decide to do nothing about it. Ivie created this documentary to give an insight of how it is seen as a part of everyday life. A handful of kids that are dropped off are seen to have disabilities. This being said, it is clear to say that it is very inhuman. This documentary is meant to send a meaningful and emotional message to all viewers.

Pastor Lee and his wife were very aware of the high rate in child abandonment going on in their country, and felt that they had to do something about it. They began to adopt many children that had disabilities to start their journey of a new world. Pastor Lee also wanted to bring it into light for the whole world to see, and that is why he started the drop box at his church. Once they started, their expectations were low of it actually working and starting a movement in their community. Their expectations took a twist after seeing its results within the year, and many babies were saved from abandonment because of their impact of starting the drop box. It was the sanctuary of hope for babies. This film captured the essence of its significance in a way that can be seen as impactful. Ivie began the film by presenting the influential people of this film running to the drop box. That was to give viewers the adrenaline rush to find out why they were running hysterically. In the background you can hear this alarm like noise, which meant that there was a new baby dropped off in the box. Once Pastor Lee got a hold of the infant, he held the baby in his arms and said a quick prayer, in which was a close up shot. It showed the emotion of love seeing him embrace the baby and the tears streaming down his face. That clip foreshadowed the many moments to come with Pastor Lee and his warm hearted presence. An angle shot was shown of the kids running and laughing with Lee to send out a happy feeling. Ivie included various interviews in the film of Pastor Lee and his team and their impact on the community and their kids. It shows viewers how a single step can turn into a movement and save many lives. This film did a phenomenal job of telling us that there is always hope out there, and that everyone deserves to be loved. I highly recommend this to people that love touching, motivating, and hope giving films. It makes you feel loved and that everything will all be alright. You can access this on Netflix and it may change your life.

Inspiring story of a man and his journey

[admin-95844 · 10/10 · 5 May 2016]

If I watched this documentary for a fun or for artistic interesting, I wouldn't give an any point ..,I am not meaning it's not well made move but it's not like ones Hollywood factories have been printing every year If you are a matured person who have gone enough through many life events such as marriage, child birth or raising, deaths or lives of ones you love This is one must movie you shouldn't miss...The devotion of pastor Lee to saving other lives is tremendous moving and his fights against bias and idea generally accepted by society is a waking up call to me. It's like saying there no life deserves not to live ..every life matters. Hope every life his saved has a bright and blessed future .... Pastor Lee is a specimen of true Christian ...

See this film!

[Shenoa77 · 10/10 · 22 November 2015]

This documentary will change how you view your life.

This film tells the story of a humble, hardworking pastor living in South Korea. It is a documentary about how a fiercely tender man has made a remarkable, redemptive impact saving the lives of those Jesus called "the least of these" or unwanted babies. The Drop Box is truly a story about good new. It is a story about what the Gospel looks like in action. In Pastor Lee, we see a reflection of this. And in the broken and abandoned children that are saved and served, we see ourselves and in the process understand more fully our own redemption. A must-see documentary. You won't regret watching this.

Korean Mothers Abandon Unwanted Babies

[mocc-1 · 3/10 · 6 March 2015]

The movie takes a very important issue and the director makes a Sundance Film Festival Movie Documentary.... it falls way short Limited show times mean jam packed theater goers crammed into tiny seats to view a foreign language documentary. 12.50 tickets for a movie you spend all your time reading what the people who are speaking .... you barley get to see what is being portrayed. Give me a translator or captioning but please not both Pastor Lee is doing wonderful work with the unwanted children but please this film team stinks. it looks more like a 60 Minutes piece than trying to bring awareness to the issue of women abandoning their children for cultural reasons.

Why the exorbitant ticket price? does any of it go to Pastor Lee? this movie falls way short as a documentary or as a movie at all.... the issue of abandoning children is important but this didn't evoke an emotional response I thought it would....