Leaving Limbo – A beautiful film with a beautiful message
As we grow older we often think back to periods in our lives and wonder “whatever happened to those years?”
Imagine if you were a promising young girl just out of high school and you suffer a horrendous accident that puts you in a coma for nineteen years. This is the story of Monica Wyatt in a lovely film, Leaving Limbo, who appears to have a great life until a careless automobile crash takes away everything she has ever known.
This film from award winning play writer Sandy Boikian is one I have to say at the offset is not to be missed. First I have to highlight the acting of Mandy Brown who is in practically every scene of the film having to run through the gamut of more emotions than most professionals do in a series of motion pictures. Mandy is a tour de force as she goes from scene to scene trying to adapt to a greatly changed world and the fact her fiancee’ Ben Hudson (Elias Cecil) who was also in the accident has since married, has had a son and is now divorced with some bitterness.
It is little wonder that Monica questions a God who would let this happen to her and there are times when she rages against the circumstances she is faced with. Her father Jack Wyatt (David Fruechting) on the other hand has not only made his peace with God, he is embarked on an important mission of caring for others. Their contrast is important to the plot and there are interesting short segments when Jack and Monica’s niece (Lauren K. Montgomery) have Bible studies with Monica as a listener who feels things are being deliberately aimed at her.
This is in part a beautiful love story, rather Shakespearean as you wonder if Monica and Ben will get back together after so many years. Like classic plays, there are misunderstandings between the two, even anger and resentment until they discover secrets about the accident they did not know. There is also a triangle here as another in the accident is Monica’s presumed best friend Tuesday (Noelle Perris) who adds both tension and at times humor.
This is definitely a well written film and redemption and forgiveness is a major part of it. A great job of acting is given by Wallace (Owen Williams) who caused the accident, though he is only in four scenes. The young Wallace reminds me of Jim Carrey and nineteen years later he is a man overridden by guilt. He has still managed to stay in contact with Monica and their coming to terms with each other is a real message for the audience.
It must be added that Sandy Boikian also has an understanding of British humor as for lightness has added Nurse Rosa (Violet Mathieson) who had looked after Monica during those nineteen years. Such writing is not easy to carry off unless you understand the genre’. Then again it is clear that the writer and director clearly has an understanding of all the elements that make a good story.
It may be doing an injustice to refer to this as a faith film as it is clearly one that will be enjoyed by everyone no matter what their beliefs. To some the phrase “faith film” is sadly a turn off. The film is not only well written and acted well, the cinematography, editing and music are excellent. Let nothing dissuade you from seeing Leaving Limbo. It is a film you will want to see more than once.
Hats off to the writer and director, Sandy Boikian.
Find it on Amazon: Leaving Limbo
Watch the Trailer: Leaving Limbo Trailer
About Dr. Fred Eichelman
