THE ONE will put one young man’s foster-care story on screens this Christmas season, but its creators do not want concern for children like him to stop when the credits roll.
“Not everyone is called to foster or adopt, but everyone is called to care,” Christian worship artist and For Others founder Chris Tomlin said on the nonprofit’s website.
That conviction now has a place to go. For Others has built a state-by-state action hub tied to THE ONE where visitors can select their state and find ways to meet local needs, volunteer, foster, adopt or give.
THE ONE follows Hawk, an 18-year-old musician who ages out of Chicago’s foster system and takes a one-way train ticket to Enid, Oklahoma, to see the lighting of a towering Christmas tree called the One. Hawk Hill Pictures’ official synopsis says he travels with only his guitar while facing homelessness, severe cold, panic attacks and traumatic memories.
His path crosses with Jefferson, a mysterious traveler played by Martin Sheen, and Alexis, a runaway teenager played by Olivia Sanabia who is grieving the death of her twin sister. Jana Kramer plays Alexis’s mother, and Nick Zano portrays her father.
Hawk and Alexis begin talking about his years in foster care, his cultural background and whether God exists, while music gives them a way to say what they cannot manage alone. The family holiday drama is directed by Lisa Arnold and written by Erin Elizabeth Cook.
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“Hawk’s story may have unfolded on screen, but there are kids just like him in your own community who need someone to show up,” the project’s action page said.
The page turns the movie’s central idea into a practical invitation. Rather than leaving viewers with a broad plea for action, it points them toward opportunities in their own communities.
Deadline reported that Hawk Hill Pictures acquired US distribution rights and will open the movie in theaters nationwide on Nov. 5. The release lands during National Homeless Youth Awareness Month, matching the story’s concern for young adults who leave foster care without a permanent family or stable home.
The stakes reach well beyond the screen. The US Department of Health and Human Services says approximately 20,000 young people leave foster care each year, generally between ages 18 and 21.
The department also cited research finding that 22% of youth in foster care experienced at least one night of homelessness during the first year after leaving the system. Five percent became homeless for the first time within one week.
Chris and Lauren Tomlin’s daughter Ashlyn makes her movie debut in THE ONE. The couple said the role means more to their family because the story asks audiences to see children who need someone to notice, love and step in.
Tomlin founded the organization in 2019 under the name Angel Armies after he felt led to use his platform for vulnerable children, according to For Others. The nonprofit later adopted its current name and now works to connect families with churches, service providers, local governments and other groups.
THE ONE may tell Hawk’s story in 104 minutes, while For Others asks viewers to stay present long after the theater lights come up.
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