Why Kate Bosworth Felt an ‘Enormous Responsibility’ to Get This Heavenly Movie Right
By Movieguide® Contributor
ActressKate Bosworth wrote about the personal connection she made with the woman she portrayed in 90 MINUTES IN HEAVEN in an essay for Guideposts.
The movie is based on a bestselling book of the same name, by Don Piper, a Baptist minister. The book tells the true story of a car accident Piper was involved in, where EMTs pronounced him dead on the scene. He was trapped in his car for 90 minutes while first responders waited for the Jaws of Life to arrive.
“But Don was not trapped in the wreckage. He was on a dazzling journey that took him to the gates of heaven, a light-drenched place of enormous peace,” Bosworth wrote. “The 90 minutes that he spent there would ultimately change his life forever, but the struggles he faced after he returned to earth were so overwhelming, he wouldn’t talk about his experience for a long time, not even to his wife, Eva.”
Another minister came upon the accident and pulled over. He felt compelled to pray over Piper’s body. He sang “What A Friend We Have In Jesus,” and to the EMT’s amazement, Piper’s heart started beating again. He even started singing along!
According to the Movieguide® review:
90 MINUTES IN HEAVEN is one of the best written and directed faith-based dramas in years. Based on the best-seller by Pastor Don Piper, 90 MINUTES IN HEAVEN is set in 1989. Don is a mild-mannered pastor with a beautiful wife, Eva, and three children. When Don is in a car accident and pronounced dead by paramedics, he sees a glimpse of Heaven. However, he’s brought back to life, and, after experiencing the joys of Heaven, he must endure incredible pain to survive his injuries. Can he keep the faith and find a purpose through all of it?
90 MINUTES IN HEAVEN is not HEAVEN IS FOR REAL. It’s an intimate story of survival and faith, one that’s accompanied by appropriate cinematography and sets. The movie’s themes touch on topics of accepting love from others, fighting for your spouse, and the simple facts that God answers prayer and that Heaven is our ultimate home. A light caution is advised for younger children due to the car wreck and medical injuries. Otherwise, 90 MINUTES IN HEAVEN is a fantastic drama everyone should see.
Bosworth played Piper’s wife, Eva, and she felt an “enormous responsibility to get their story right.”
She and director Michael Polish, who is also Bosworth’s husband, wanted to do everything they could to make the movie perfect.
“We loved the Pipers’ story,” Bosworth shared. “We were drawn to the dynamics of their marriage, perhaps because we saw something of ourselves in them. Michael, like Don, is a very patient person. I’m a lot like Eva. We’re both strong-willed, practical, energetic women who just want to go and get things done.”
But it takes time to bring a story to the screen,” she continued. “For us, it took four years. What a test of faith – and patience.”
Bosworth relied on the real-life Eva’s help to bring the story to the big screen. The two had many conversations, in person and over text, about what Piper’s recovery was like and the struggles the couple faced.
“Eva and Don had gone through a trial that would break many couples, but she said there were always bumps in the road of a long marriage,” Bosworth wrote. “Yet she did bounce back. What made that possible was prayer – specifically the prayer she said when she broke down at the hospital. I knew it would be the hardest scene in the movie for me, my biggest challenge.”
Bosworth was worried about how to do the scene, but Eva helped her through it.
“She made me a video of herself saying the exact words she’d prayed,” the actress shared. “They were from the Bible, Jeremiah 29:11–12: ‘For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.’”
“‘You know, Kate, people often leave out that last part,’ she said. ‘But it’s really important because it’s all about prayer. We call on God and he hears us,’” Bosworth continued. “I memorized those words. They weren’t in the script, so I didn’t expect to say them aloud on camera. I would just hold them in my heart.”
Bosworth knew that that moment of prayer was a turning point for Eva as she prayed for her husband to survive.
“That scene was a turning point for me too,” Bosworth said. “Becoming Eva so fully gave me a new sense of how trust works – in the artistic process, in relationships, in hardships giving way to breakthroughs, and, perhaps above all, in the power of connection.”
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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.
