Editor's note: In January 2010, the film To Save a Life will be released in theatres nationwide. The vision behind the film is to inspire millions of teenagers to reach out to the hurting and lonely in their world. What most theatre-goers won't know is that the author of the story and producer is one of our own: a youth pastor and local network coordinator in Oceanside, California. We asked Jim Britts to talk to us: why add writing and making a movie to the responsibilities he has as youth pastor at an active church? Here is the heart behind the film from his perspective as the screenwriter.
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I never thought I was going to be a youth worker.
I was a film major at Biola University (near Los Angeles) planning on living in Hollywood as a screenwriter. The summer before my senior year, I was invited to be a high school intern in a fast-growing church plant. I don't know if there was a specific moment during that summer that I felt the call into ministry, but afterwards I knew I wanted to spend my life helping teenagers.
Seven years later, I was happily serving as a youth pastor at New Song Church in Oceanside, when our executive pastor approached me with the idea of making a movie. As I prayed about it, my mind immediately imagined the hurting and lonely teenagers.
If you have worked with young people for any period of time, then you know how much this current generation of teenagers is suffering. So much of our youth ministry is helping students who are struggling with addictions, parents divorcing, depression and even suicidal thoughts. As I studied Scripture, I realized that I could not read a page in the four Gospels without seeing Jesus reach out to the hurting, lonely, left out and lost.
The film To Save a Life really paints the picture of what that would look like today – reaching out on our high school campuses to the hurting, lonely, left out and lost. In the film, lead characters Jake and Roger grew up as best friends. But in high school, Jake becomes a star athlete who has it all: a college scholarship and the perfect girl. But his ideal life comes at the exclusion of his childhood friend, Roger.
Meanwhile, Roger no longer fits in anywhere and becomes tired of always being pushed aside. He makes a tragic move that spins Jake's world out of control. As Jake searches for answers, he begins a journey that changes his life forever.
Many of the scenes and each of the characters are based on real-life students I've had in my ministry, along with their very real stories. My hope is that through this film, lives of students would be saved. Just this past week, I received an email from a student who saw a preview of the film and immediately threw away the razor blades that she had been using to cut herself. That's what making this film is about to me.
The other passion of this film is to inspire students to reach out to the hurting and lonely on their campuses. And I hope youth workers will be inspired by this film to make their ministries a safe place for students who are struggling.
There are many movies made each year for many different reasons, but I imagine there are few that view "success" based on saved lives and engaging students to help others. Please hear my heart that this is what this film is all about.
Through the end of 2009, we're going to be screening the film in cities all over the country. We hope every youth worker will see this film before it comes out in theatres and join our team in helping students use this film to start a movement of hope and help in their part of the world. If you want to know more, you can learn about screenings by signing up at www.ToSaveALifeLeaders.com.