Cyndi wasn’t the kind of person to give much notice to the homeless. No, she was the kind who would made sure the windows stay rolled up when they came by asking for money.
But when her husband, Bobby, has a mental breakdown, it causes him to take off to the streets. And while Cyndi’s out looking for him, she runs into Delia, a homeless woman. The two get to talking, and considering the chilly night, Cyndi gives Delia her son’s blanket. She’s afraid little Phillip might be upset, but as she’s tucking him into bed, he has other things on his mind.
“I wish we could give them all blankets,” Phillip says.
Phillip can’t stop thinking about how his father is now one of the thousands of homeless people who live in Fort Worth, Texas. Now, what was once stuck behind rolled up car windows hits a little closer to home. And with a cold winter soon approaching, Phillip wants to do something about it.
His zeal for the project is contagious. Soon, Cyndi begins helping him collect blankets to provide to homeless people. But it’ll take a lot of work and a lot of generosity in order to reach their goal of providing 5,000 blankets before Christmas.
5000 Blankets details how the real-life non-profit organization Phillip’s Wish came to be. The organization still works to provide blankets, hats, scarves, gloves, sleeping bags and much more to people who are homeless.
5000 Blankets tells us that blankets aren’t going to solve everything, but that they can be the beginning of change.
“We are not naive,” Cyndi tells her church congregation. “We know that the problems these people face are immense. But we also know that a simple act of kindness can be a start.”
But as the film shows, it takes more than a motivational speech to rouse support. Some people have to overcome personal discomfort first. We see many instances in which people, Cyndi included, attempt to ignore homeless people. Others might just give a bit of spare change to soothe their consciences. But if we really want to help, we need to do more than treat others like an afterthought, the film suggests.
And while we’re reminded that there are some homeless people who can be dangerous, there are plenty of others who are there due to uncontrollable life circumstances, disabilities and mental health problems. Bobby, for example, is out on the street because of an uncontrollable mental breakdown, because of his sickness rather than his life choices. Another homeless man appears to be living on the streets because of a physical disability, and a homeless woman is in those circumstances because her husband passed away.
When Phillip attacks a bully at school, Cyndi tells her son that he still has to respond appropriately. “We didn’t ask for any of this,” Cyndi says, “but we get to choose how to react to it.”
When Bobby vanishes, Cyndi expresses her frustration about her circumstances to her pastor.
“God wants you to do more than get by,” the pastor says.
“Then maybe He should have stopped my husband from coming apart at the seams,” Cyndi replies. The pastor tells Cyndi that the church is there to help her.
A church sermon references Saul on the road to Damascus. A homeless man says, “God bless you, son.” A woman sarcastically calls Cyndi a good Samaritan. People talk about prayer and reading the Bible. We also hear a reference to Easter and Jesus’ resurrection. Phillip tells his class that, despite a setback, “We have to put our trust in God.”
A man tells a story of another person having to go “commando” when he cannot find extra underwear to use.
During a mental breakdown, Bobby attacks another man, throwing him to the ground and attempting to hit him. Bobby considers suicide while on the edge of a roof. He also cuts his hand accidentally, leaving a bloody scrape.
Phillip punches a boy for bullying him, resulting in the boy having a bloody nose. Cyndi is asked to identify a dead body thought to be her husband, and we see the corpse of a different homeless man. A storage unit catches fire.
We hear a use of “crap.”
Those listening very carefully during one scene may hear what sounds like an s-word in the background, but the film’s producers have told Plugged In that this word isn’t what’s being uttered.
We hear a reference to prescription medication.
Boys verbally bully Phillip on a few occasions.
Scenes from Bobby’s perspective during his mental breakdowns may be intense for young children.
5000 Blankets tells the story of a young boy’s compassionate desire to provide warmth to the homeless. And for a little tug on your heartstrings, let us remind you that it’s based on a true story.
The nonprofit organization Phillip’s Wish, a faith-based group that provides clothing, toiletries and more to homeless people, began as a hopeful conversation between Phillip and his mother, Cyndi. The boy’s father had had a mental breakdown and was currently living out in the streets, and Phillip worried that he (and the many other homeless people) might be cold.
But Phillip didn’t just worry about this problem. Instead, he decided to do something simple and concrete, and his heart for the homeless compelled Cyndi to help him accomplish that goal, blanket by blanket.
This Christian movie’s PG-13 rating comes from its acute depictions of mental illness: Phillip’s father, Bobby, is often seen struggling through intense scenes. But aside from a little blood and a dead body shown in a police station, there’s little concerning content in this inspiring film. In fact, it might just be a compassionate catalyst for helping the homeless in your community, too.
5000 Blankets will be playing in select theaters on Dec. 12 and 13, distributed by Fathom Events.
Kennedy Unthank studied journalism at the University of Missouri. He knew he wanted to write for a living when he won a contest for “best fantasy story” while in the 4th grade. What he didn’t know at the time, however, was that he was the only person to submit a story. Regardless, the seed was planted. Kennedy collects and plays board games in his free time, and he loves to talk about biblical apologetics. He thinks the ending of Lost “wasn’t that bad.”
