“Christ stayed in the Garden when He knew they would come.”
These poignant words spoken by Betsie Ten Boom in the newly released Corrie Ten Boom’s The Hiding Place serve as a clarion call to modern-day Christians to remain steadfast to our Savior and His eternal message of redemption and love – no matter the evil that rages around us.
This gut-wrenching line is only one of dozens of moments of stark, scriptural truth found within this new adaptation of an iconic story of a Christian family who risks everything to help Jews during the Holocaust of World War II.
In July 2022, Ten Boom’s book was once again adapted for stage and filmed for cinema audiences at the Soli Deo Center in Nashville, Tennessee. Written by A.S. Peterson, the production was directed onstage by Matt Logan, with an impressive cast of actors: Nan Gurley as Corrie Ten Boom, Conrad John Schuck as Casper Ten Boom, and Carrie Tillis as Betsie Ten Boom.
The stage version was performed before sold-out audiences, and I would imagine the big screen debut of this film in selected theaters (Augst 3 & 5 nationally, August 16 internationally) will be equally popular. With that in mind, perspective viewers can go ahead and purchase tickets online aa www.thehidingplacefilm.com.
But to be totally honest, I was a bit unsure about watching this new film adaptation. My trepidation centered on several valid reasons, including the difficulty of filming a stage production while simultaneously keeping a cinema audience interested and intrigued.
Also, Corrie Ten boom has been my hero since I was 11 years old and went with my girls’ Sunday school class to watch the first movie version of The Hiding Place. She is the epitome of humble, Christ-centered service to the King of kings. As an adolescent, I was forever changed by the raw truth of her story, the story of an everyday Christian woman whose life made an extraordinary difference. She and her family lived their beliefs and paid the upmost price for doing so.
Not to mention, the story of the Holocaust is dear to my heart as a teacher and a writer. Even before I wrote Priceless Pennies: Rose and Odette, Unknown Children of the Holocaust, I believed exactly what the Bible says about the chosen people of Israel. Accordingly, I try and always live by the words that God spoke long ago in Genesis 12:3, “I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”
Finally, I can never think of Corrie Ten Boom and her precious family without thinking of what I would have done in her place. Would I have really put the lives of my Jewish brothers and sisters above my own or above those of my family? Would I have risked all for the sake of God’s people? Or would I have turned my back and saved myself?
And that question looms every larger in my mind today as this woke, liberal, godless culture openly seeks to denounce and destroy anything that pertains to God. I fear (with obviously good reason) that one day soon, we could be the ones hiding inside the walls of those with courage enough to help God’s people.
So, yes, now is the perfect time to retell the story of the Ten Boom family. But I was just not sure it could or would be done with the same forthrightness and truth that Ms. Ten Boom used while penning the autobiographical story of her family.
But I have to say this new film is stunning in so many aspects. The cinematography is beautiful, and the storyline is woven seamlessly between each set and every storyline told via the stage. I truly forgot it was a play most of the time. And when I say the stage sets were gorgeous, I mean it. The lighting and backdrops helped the theater audience see every aspect of the staged version and connect the pieces together in a very cohesive tale.
And … the acting was superb, really! Because let’s get real; not all “Christian” productions can say that. But these actors and their portrayals of the beloved Ten Boom family were true to the book and to their faith. Even the minor characters were played with finesse.
The only critique I might have had was I wanted more of the storyline and more of the motivation behind the Ten Boom’s selfless love for others. I just could not help but think (after reading so much of Ms. Ten Boom’s works) that her story should simply be Jesus, Jesus, Jesus … and more Jesus.
But to be fair, many modern viewers might never have even heard of the Ten Boom family or the sacrifices they made to hide and save persecuted Jews during the horrifying times of World War II. So, maybe, this film will capture the hearts of a whole new generation of viewers, just like my 11-year-old heart was forever changed when I sat in that dark theater way back in the early 1970s. There, I cried profusely when confronted with the undeniable and sacrificial love of Jesus demonstrated by Corrie and the other Ten Booms. I hope others are equally impacted by this real-life story of Christ’s love today.
With that in mind, it is my sincere prayer that people of all ages go and see Corrie Ten Boom’s The Hiding Place. Because the only hope for America and the world at large is Jesus. Therefore, we as Christians must truly become willing to live by the words of John 15:13 – “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends.”
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For viewing information and ticket purchases, go to www.thehidingplacefilm.com.
