Fun on location (L-R) Corey Paul, David Garrett (Zac Ryan), and Kendra Staub (McKenna Roberts)
An abortion clinic in 1978. Madeline
Ryan is 19 years old, tender-eyed,
confused, and about 12 weeks
pregnant. Her boyfriend, Eric, 23, is a
career-minded student on his way to
graduate school. They talk together
in the clinic as they wait to be seen.
Madeline is hesitant, but Eric is
determined to get this done today.
In the midst of conversation, Eric
makes the statement, “Having a
baby will change everything”! A
doctor enters and asks Madeline if
she is ready… if she really wants to
go through with this.
The room is silent. All we hear...is a
HEARTBEAT.
Flash-forward to PRESENT DAY:
ZAC RYAN is a clinical oncologist
searching for a cure, when he
discovers his trial patient is his
biological father.
never set out to become a
filmmaker. Yet, the process of
making my first feature film has
been as much a spiritual journey as
anything I have ever done in my life. It
began from a night spent in prayer; I asked
God what it was he wanted me to do. In
March of 2003 He answered that prayer. I
was sitting in my car when I instantly saw in
my minds’ eye the beginning and ending of
a story. In that moment, one thing was
crystal clear: this story – one that was
inspired by true events, by a story my
mother told me – would get told.
I
I learned many things over the course of
the next 10 years, but two stand out: I
learned how to put ‘faith in action’ and I
discovered the ‘one thing’
From March 2003 to February 2009, I spent
a lot of time trying to make the money to
eventually go to film school… to eventually
make the movie. I felt like I was spinning
my wheels. During that time I learned a
very important life lesson as I had an
opportunity to meet with a very successful
businessman. He imparted an important
lesson, of which up to that point in life, I
never thought about. He shared that,
despite owning several thriving businesses,
he started from one. He went on to tell me
how that one business took a chunk of his
life. He had to focus on the “One Thing”. I
left that meeting, thinking a lot about the
one thing in my life. What was it exactly?
What was the one thing worth risking
everything for? It was clearly the vision for
the film I had back in 2003. Sure, I had
spent time writing and researching, reading
screenwriting books and checking out film
schools, but I did not put everything into it.
I had not made it the “One Thing”
“My advice to anyone who is looking
to make a film is this: Can you
make it your ‘One Thing’? And are
you ready to put faith in action? “
In 2009 that all changed. I decided to risk
everything for the one thing I knew God
wanted me to do. That was to make a
feature film inspired by the story shared by
my mother.
CHRISTIAN REVIEW > 7