Columbine. Say that one word anywhere in the United States and people know what you’re talking about. The shooting at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, on April 20, 1999, was the worst high school shooting in history, wounding more than 20 people and killing 13, including Rachel Joy Scott.
When two fellow classmates approached Scott on the lawn of Columbine High School and questioned her belief in Jesus, she affirmed her faith and was shot to death at point-blank range.
The story of her martyrdom has been told perhaps countless times in books, sermons and interviews in the past nearly 20 years, but Pure Flix Entertainment hopes its film of Scott’s 17 years on earth inspires students nationally to accept and boldly proclaim Jesus as Lord and Savior. The film, “I’m Not Ashamed,” opened in theaters Oct. 21 and stars Masey McLain, Ben Davies, Sadie Robertson, Korie Robertson, Jaci Velasquez and Jennifer O’Neill.
Faith struggle
The movie portrays the faith struggle of Scott, who was among 12 students and a teacher murdered by Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold. Harris and Klebold also planted bombs that did not detonate and committed suicide.
“[Scott] grew up in a fatherless home. Even though she grew up in church, her choices as a teenager were not the best choices,” said Franklin Santagate, Pure Flix vice president of global strategic alliances. “She ended up struggling with the party scene [etc.] — drinking, smoking. But was caught by her mom, and then sent away for the summer to … her aunt Bea. At that point she accepts Christ but comes back not knowing what quite to do with it, even though she’s connected now to a small group.”
Scott experiences betrayal, depression, suicidal tendencies, heartbreak and other ills before finally sharing her faith with others.
“All these struggles are exactly what many, many teens go through. At all our screenings, we hear that over and over from the teenagers. ‘Man, this is exactly what we face,’” Santagate said. “We see it on the screening cards. ‘We’re so glad you show the reality of trying to be a Christian as a teenager facing these temptations.’”
Students who’ve screened the movie are inspired to impact their schools with the gospel, Santagate said, adding that the film is intended to start a youth-driven, multi-denominational movement for Christ.
“The common denominator will be young men and women who want to do something in their schools and in their communities for Jesus Christ and for one another,” Santagate said.
The Pure Flix Faith and Family Alliance — including First Priority, a network of 2,600 school-based Christian youth groups, and See You At the Pole, an international student-led prayer outreach — kicked off the national six-week “I Am Hope” evangelistic and discipleship movement targeting students in mid-September to lead up to the film’s release.
Designed to engage
The four-week “I Am Hope” curriculum was designed to engage youth and provide outreach to the 23 million unchurched teens in the U.S., according to the “I Am Hope” website.
The fifth week of the program prompted participants to purchase a movie ticket for themselves, another for someone they know who’s lost and a third to give to a fatherless or inner city youth.
For more information about the film or “I Am Hope,” visit imnotashamedfilm.com. (BP, TAB)
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