Emmett/Furla Films, Giving Films,
Hayden Christensen, Kate Bosworth, Dwight Yoakam, Michael W. Smith, Fred Dalton Thompson, Jason Kennedy, Elizabeth Hunter, Bobby Batson, Hudson Meek
Based on the book and the true story of Don Piper (Hayden Christensen) who was driving on a rainy day, and hit head on by a Semi Truck and pronounced dead at the scene. Later he was found to have a pulse and was still alive so he was taken to the hospital with a very low chance to survive the night, but Don did survive and went through a torturous recover spanning many months and years. This film is a chronicle of the events that happened during the time Don was pronounced dead and revived through the challenges he went through as well as his family during his recovery.
This is most definitely a Christian film, with the baggage that goes along with the subject matter. Don and his family truly believe that he saw heaven and spent time there with deceased friends and loved ones during the time that he was dead and that he came back against his wishes at the time to earth to continue his ministry. This in itself will cause certain people to hate the film. But the Christian overtones are minimal as Don really tried to tell the entire story of his families adventure including many other issues outside the arena of faith and religion. In fact, through most of his recovery Don never mentioned his experience, even to his wife, for fear of people thinking him insane. For the other part of the human race that will be disappointed because there is not enough religion in this film, they have a beef as well and will probably get mad. I think most of the comments come from the faithful who have issues with how “unrealistic” it is done rather than from the atheists who probably avoided the film anyway. So for the rest of us who are in the middle, I thought this was a very well made film. I think Hayden and Kate did a good job in their roles as the couple who were affected by this tragedy, and the rest of the cast did a great job as well. There is, sort of a low budget TV movie feel to this film that is probably due to the limited budget after all, but the story was well told and it did give me a lot to think about. I enjoyed the other issues that affected the family and the physical and financial damages it caused the family to suffer. I thought it was a very good story and one that needed to be told. I imagine the book is also very good, and I have only heard good things about it although I have not read it yet. So for those more toward the middle and not out at the ends of the scale one way or the other, I think you will enjoy this story and it is a worthwhile use of your time.
EdG – EdsReview Dot Com – A Movie Review Blog
