Home Run: A Novel (29 page)

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• The Beginning of
Home Run

• Why
Home Run
Matters

The Beginning of
Home Run

Inception.
It was January 2010, and film producer Tom Newman had not worked on a feature film in several years. After pitching a three-picture deal to prospective partners for most of 2009, Newman still found himself waiting. Fed up and determined, Tom challenged his longtime colleague and video/TV producer Carol Spann Mathews: “Let’s do a movie—
this
year—for just a million dollars.” Mathews agreed instantly.

Miracle.
Normally Mathews would barrel down a road and then ask God to please bless it and guide the endeavor. But this time was different and would set the pace for a thousand prayers on the filmmaking journey. So Mathews, alone in her office after others had gone home, simply asked God, “What do You want to say in our movie?” There was no fasting. There was no repeated ritual of praying and waiting. The answer came swiftly and clearly:
I want people to know that I can heal them of their addictions—that I can free them; that change is possible.

The Original Home Run.
There was an unscripted story idea entitled “Home Run,” conceived by Tom Newman’s son, Eric: a major leaguer, horribly heart-wounded by his father, finds himself coaching a Little League team in the rural hometown he had avoided for years. Mathews called Eric Newman and asked him if he felt he could give the ballplayer an alcohol problem, eliminate the mentor-preacher character, and incorporate a faith-based twelve-step program as the device to share God’s truths in the script. Eric Newman and colleague Candace Lee began working tirelessly to bring a new set of characters and a new angle to Eric’s original story.

Celebrate Recovery.
Every time Mathews saw a Celebrate Recovery testimony at her church, she saw the undeniable hand of God at work. In each story, a brave soul revealed his or her darkest struggle to shine the brightest light of hope on those who listened. Mathews believed the Celebrate Recovery program could be the very backdrop for a troubled protagonist-addict on a journey toward wholeness. The film would have no preachy mentor-type characters. But the true stories of broken people whose lives were completely changed by Jesus would shine a hope-filled light for our character (and the film’s audience). Mathews believed these stories would preach without being “preachy.”

John Baker.
The producers had to garner permission to use the Celebrate Recovery name in the film. The only problem was that CR’s f
ounder, John Baker, was based out of Saddleback, one of the largest churches in America. He was also one of its elders alongside “America’s Pastor” Rick Warren. This wasn’t going to be as easy as a simple phone call. Fortunately, the producers received the wise counsel of a local CR state rep, Norma Murphy, who suggested a few steps to take prior to reaching out to Mr. Baker. One, the producers and screenwriters should attend a Celebrate Recovery meeting. Two, the producers should attend a CR “One-Day” where the ministry is unpacked and explained to those interested in implementing CR at their church. These were the prerequisites before she would introduce the producers to her
dear
friends
, John and Cheryl Baker.

Testimony Night.
The producers’ second CR meeting was “testimony night.” The man telling his story was a recovering drug addict. It was the most courageous and honest thing Mathews had ever witnessed. In the buckle of the Bible Belt, at a large Southern Baptist church, there was a man telling his story of drugs, sex, alcohol—and stealing from
their
offering plates. He told of the transformation in his heart, the love he found from those in the room, and the hope he had that God would now work on his alcohol addiction. He was on his journey. He hadn’t arrived, but he was experiencing true healing. The raw honesty of this man, and the honesty of the others in the room, was a part of the Christian church they wanted to portray in their film. One that perhaps others wouldn’t believe even exists. And the more they attended CR (which included going on their own journey through the twelve steps), the more the CR experience would shape the storytelling of their movie.

Another Miracle.
With prerequisites fulfilled, Mathews and Newman were now ready to meet with CR founders John and Cheryl Baker. Forever grateful to Norma Murphy’s sound advice, the producers were clearer than ever about the message of the film, the importance of this message, and the beauty of incorporating Celebrate Recovery into it. They were told to keep their expectations at bay, however, as Baker would not give permission quickly, and, an avid protector of his brand, he would not be afraid to say no. But after meeting for an entire afternoon and attending CR at Saddleback that night—they prayed together, and he gave his unreserved blessing to a first-time film producer from Tulsa, Oklahoma, who had no money and no script. This blessing would prove to be the rocket fuel in the project’s engine that propelled this movie forward in many, many ways. What felt like a good idea for a script would prove to be a
God
idea on many levels.

The Script.
Eric Newman and Candace Lee, also now regularly attending CR, began working on the script. Mathews then brought in Dreamworks story analyst and screenwriter Brian Brightly, who worked with them for three months. Under Brightly’s leadership, the team stood the script up and tall with strong structure, good pacing, and solid characters. Still, Mathews thought something was missing. A certain pathos. This is where screenwriter Melanie Wistar came in. According to Mathews, Wistar put the “soul” in the characters with her honest dialogue, great sense of humor, and clear understanding of the film’s message. After seventeen months, the script was complete.

Why
Home Run
Matters

The audience for the film—and this book—are Christians who are tired of faking it. The shame from the choices they made or the habits they can’t break or the abuse they endured creates a condemning weight on the shoulders of good-willed believers who sit in a church pew and simply feel trapped. For
them
, the praying and the worship and the Bible study just doesn’t work for this
one
dark area
of their lives. They love Jesus. But they have found that the promised peace and real-life change elude them. The worst of it is,
they feel alone
. They are certain that those seated next to them in their small group have it all under control and wouldn’t possibly understand, much less accept, this struggle.
This movie is for those people.
Those who feel alone. Those who feel condemned. It’s for those who think things will never change.

The unflinching honesty of
Home Run
resonates with a growing part of the church that rejects the assumption that once you’re saved, everything is okay. And to the world
outside
the church that never bought that claim in the first place,
Home Run
is an honest and hopeful message for them.

In the film the characters are
not
neatly divided into the “have Jesus” group and the “messed up” folks. Everyone is portrayed as having a struggle of some kind … because that’s true in real life.
We all struggle, but healing is possible!
But not by being better or just acting right or signing the oath or making the resolution or privately trying to fix the problem all by ourselves. Change and freedom are ours by
surrendering
to Jesus.

This is what makes Celebrate Recovery an amazing backdrop for this story. This ministry, currently in over nineteen thousand churches across the country, is creating a culture of telling the truth about the Christian walk. It teaches the biblical truths underlying the twelve steps of recovery. The people participating in Celebrate Recovery are telling their stories from pulpits and lecterns around the country: God loves us, and
He
can heal us.

It’s time to start this conversation in our churches. What’s holding Christians back from living the life they were created to live?
What happens after the altar call?
What do we do with the broken pieces, the shameful places of our hearts and lives? Why do we try to fix our struggles on our own? Why do we resist the pain and process of healing? Why are we afraid to give it to God and trust Him?

Home Run
would like to help ignite this important conversation.

HOME RUN

Published by David C Cook

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David C Cook Distribution Canada

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David C Cook U.K., Kingsway Communications

Eastbourne, East Sussex BN23 6NT, England

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All rights reserved. No part of this ebook may be reproduced, scanned, resold, or distributed by or through any print or electronic medium without written permission from the publisher. This ebook is licensed solely for the personal and noncommercial use of the original authorized purchaser, subject to the terms of use under which it was purchased. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights.

This story is a work of fiction. Characters and events are the product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to any person, living or dead, is coincidental.

Romans 4:7–8 in chapter 36 is taken from the
Holy Bible
, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. Romans 10:9 in chapter 40 and Romans 7:18 in chapter 40.5 are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1984 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com.

LCCN 2012941317

ISBN 978-0-7814-0838-7

eISBN 978-1-4347-0512-9

© 2013 Carol Mathews,
Home Run
film and novel

Novelization written by Travis Thrasher

The Team: Alex Field, LB Norton, Amy Konyndyk, Nick Lee, Jack Campbell, Caitlyn Carlson, Karen Athen

Cover Design: Mick Thurber, Thurber Creative Services

First Edition 2012

www.homerunthemovie.com

Photo by Brio Media Photography & Design

Travis Thrasher
is the author of more than twenty works of fiction, including the Solitary Tales series,
Broken
, and
Sky Blue
. His writing is known for its honesty, depth, and surprising twists. Thrasher lives with his wife and daughters in Chicago.

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