By REY FLORES
For as long as man has been around, the question of an afterlife has been asked. Of course, as Catholics we believe in Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory; but what do all of these places look like and what would it be like to experience any of them and come back to life and tell the rest of the world all about it?
One of my favorite stories is the one St. John Bosco told about having visited a multidimensional Hell in a dream where he saw some of his own living students suffering down there. Needless to say, St. John Bosco came back and did his best to reform these wayward boys.
In our times, you would have to first tell quite the convincing story to a skeptical and increasingly secular world by writing a book and then producing a film about it. That way you could get your story out to as many people as possible and hope to convince people to live a good and Godly life by sharing your own harrowing experience.
That is exactly what Pastor Don Piper did.
After having his book become a New York Times bestseller, Piper collaborated with Family Christian Entertainment, the new production company founded by Rick Jackson, owner of Family Christian Stores, the largest Christian retail chain in the United States. 90 Minutes in Heaven is the first film produced by the company.
While life after death and near death experiences are evergreen topics of interest to people of faith, they also pique the curiosity of non-religious people — almost as a way for them to find out if they should keep living their crazy lives or get to church pronto.
These topics, however, are a challenge from a cinematic perspective. How do film directors create the imagery of a place they have never been to? How can they convey an out of body experience where the soul travels or what the soul is experiencing? I commend anyone willing to accept that challenge.
90 Minutes in Heaven starts off in a very dramatic way. In movies like this where we know what is going to happen next, I always dread watching the scenes of a typical morning with the usual cup of coffee, morning kisses for the kiddies, and the obligatory kissing of your wife goodbye as you head out to do your job.
We know the poor guy is about to get in a terrible accident and we know he is going to suffer quite a bit, so watching him in his daily routine prior to the accident reminds me that any of us could be doing exactly any of these things, not knowing that it may be our final day and our final moments.
That is a frightening thought that makes me want to appreciate all of my blessings more and to be a much better, Christ-like person to my loved ones. If that was one of the goals of Piper and the film’s producers, I say, “Good job, mission accomplished!”
After the accident when a semi-tractor truck crushed his car, Piper lay dead in the wreckage for 90 minutes; rescue attempts by EMTs seemingly had failed. Only God knows why, but thankfully another pastor traveling by the accident decided to approach the scene and, after getting permission from the emergency personnel, he was allowed to pray for Piper as he lay dead.
This is where the miracle happens: After praying and singing for a few minutes, the pastor heard Piper start to sing with him. The elated pastor tried to convince the EMTs that Piper was still alive, eventually having them check his pulse, extract him from the mangled car, and get him in an ambulance to try and save his life all over again.
Go see the movie for the rest of the story; I wouldn’t want to spoil it for you.
This movie isn’t so much about creating some spectacular vision of Heaven with parting clouds, beautiful bright lights, and pearly gates or anything like that. This film focuses on a man of faith who has been given a huge cross to bear which will test his faith in God, despite his being a man whose vocation is to bring others to Him.
Piper was not alone in carrying a cross. His poor wife was given the cross of standing by her husband, raising their three small children without their father at least temporarily, and having to deal with all of the worry and pain associated with making major medical and financial decisions for her family.
While the film is good, I wonder why the film’s producers took slightly over two hours to tell a story about 90 minutes in Heaven. After starting the film with a bang, the rest of the movie goes on a little long about Piper’s recovery process. Adult viewers can remained engaged in the storyline, but it may be a bit too much to maintain the attention of younger viewers.
The film stars Hayden Christensen, Kate Bosworth, and country singer Dwight Yoakam as quite the convincing lawyer. Now playing in theaters. Visit www.90minitesinheaventhemovie.com for trailers and to locate a theater near you.
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(Rey Flores is a Catholic speaker and writer. Book Rey now for your fall/winter fundraising and gala events. Contact Rey at reyfloresusa@gmail.com.)
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