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CS Lewis Biopic THE MOST RELUCTANT CONVERT Theatrical Release Extended After Box Office Success
By Movieguide® Staff
Max McLean portrayed C.S. Lewis in the new movie, A MOST RELUCTANT CONVERT, which added new theater dates after a successful $1.2 million opening in just 400 theaters across the country.
McLean, who plays the older Lewis in the movie, said that Lewis’ 1942 book “The Screwtape Letters” left a lasting impact on how he thought about the late author’s work.
“And I read one page, and I said, ‘I know this guy. This guy has been in my life for a long time, and now he was exposed.’ And the way Lewis exposed him, he made spiritual warfare very real,” McLean, 68, told The Christian Post.
“Being an adult convert, you bring a lot of doubts and baggage with you because … belief is hard,” he continued. “People that are raised in a faith, their souls, their conscience are formed. That belief becomes an integrated part of who they are. An adult convert has to undo so much. And Lewis had the same experience. So he just helped guide my way.”
McLean first adapted Lewis’ memoir, “Surprised by Joy,” into a stage play called C.S. LEWS ON STAGE: THE MOST RELUCTANT CONVERT.
“[Lewis] captured my imagination at a very early age; he’s become my spiritual guide. He’s allowed me to see Christianity from a vantage point that captures my imagination in a huge way,” McLean said. “He had a steel trap mind where he remembered everything and had this wonderful ability to articulate it into this glorious prose and speech. So, to be able to articulate those words after him, especially for a 21st-century audience, is just a tremendous blessing and honor.”
A portion of Movieguide®’s review of the big-screen adaptation of the stage play reads:
THE MOST RELUCTANT CONVERT is a drama about how C.S. Lewis went from being an atheist to one of the greatest defenders of the Christian faith in the 20th Century. It opens with Max McLean nervously checking his script, and then walking onto the set, where he becomes C.S. Lewis reminiscing about his conversion. Some scenes are re-enacted with actors. The movie details Lewis’ sad childhood, his exploits during World War I, and his life at Oxford University, where he encountered Christians. By 1929, Lewis reluctantly became a theist, and by 1933, a full believer in Christ, and one of the most influential Christian apologists of all time.
THE MOST RELUCTANT CONVERT is moving and inspiring. Max McLean does a terrific job as Lewis, and the actors bring the story alive. THE MOST RELUCTANT CONVERT is a tremendous movie to show to non-Christians. The movie is probably not for young children with the death of the mother, the collapse and lack of a father’s love, the horrors of World War I, and other elements, but, for teenagers and above, it’s a great movie.
Initially, the movie was set for a one-night, limited release. However, it will now stay in theaters until Nov. 18 due to an outpouring of support and box office success.
“When we began working on our distribution of the film, we had a handful of theatres, mostly in major markets, with one showing on one day on November 3,” McLean told CBN. “I am grateful to the tens of thousands of people who came out to fill theaters in almost every major city throughout the country.”
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Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
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