DAVID ADAMS speaks with Ian McCormack about the film of his life-changing experience with God…
New Zealander Ian McCormack’s story isn’t one you’re likely to forget. How he was in Mauritius when, after being stung five times by a box jellyfish, he died. How he went to hell and then heaven before waking up, thanks to the prayers of his mother, in the morgue. How he now travels the world telling others about his experience and pointing them to Jesus Christ.
It’s not surprising, then, that it’s been seized upon by a Hollywood film producer and made into a movie – The Perfect Wave – which is released for the first time in Australia next month.
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Ian and Jane McCormack “It’s just my heart to reach the world and cinema and movie theatres is another means to reach people who would normally never come to church or normally never step anywhere near Christianity.”– Ian McCormack speaking in reference to the new film about his life, The Perfect Wave. |
Directed by Bruce MacDonald and produced by S Bryan Hickox, the film stars Clint Eastwood’s son, Scott, as McCormack and Cheryl Ladd, one of the original Charlie’s Angels, as his mother, and tells the story of McCormack as he travels the world in search of the perfect wave and then fatally encounters the jellyfish.
“Over the years I’ve had people show interest in making a movie,” says Mr McCormack, who is now based in London with his wife Jane and three teenage children, Lisa, Michael, and Sarah (each of whom has had their own encounter with God) where he runs a church as well as still traveling the world talking to people about his experience.
But when a US-based producer’s attempt fell through, it was South African-based surfer (and the film’s director), Bruce McDonald, who contacted him about three years ago and said he was keen to make it into a movie.
“I said, ‘Go ahead mate’,” laughs the 57-year-old, speaking from New Zealand where he was preparing for the film’s premiere in Christchurch. “We just Skyped and talked over the phone and stuff and just emailed each other and they began to put a script together.”
Expressions of interest followed from Ms Ladd and Mr Eastwood, and the cast – which also includes Rachel Hendrix who plays McCormack’s love interest, Annabel – was gradually assembled. “It just seemed like God’s hand was upon it,” he says.
McCormack, who says he’s not getting a cent from the film (apart from some travel expenses), sees the film as another means of reaching people with his story.
“I’ve always just given my testimony away – we’ve put it into book form and (on) a DVD…It’s just my heart to reach the world and cinema and movie theatres is another means to reach people who would normally never come to church or normally never step anywhere near Christianity.”
He says that while the film includes the “key elements” of his story, it does include aspects that weren’t part of his story, including his fictional romantic relationship with ‘Annabel’ (McCormack says the romance with her is a composite of his relationships).
“It still gives you that basic grounding that I died and the power of a praying mother,” he says. “And I think Cheryl Ladd plays that extremely well, from the heart, and the Spirit of God is all over it.”
McCormack says while personally he would have liked to have seen more of the supernatural in the film, “I think they’ve gone with less so it’s not as black and white”. “It’s giving people the opportunity, perhaps, to look at the testimony further down the line or at least give them enough interest to pursue more of what actually took place…(to find out) what is the real story…I just really pray God will use the movie as a signpost to draw people to salvation and to eternity.”
The film premieres in Christchurch on 28th January and then in Auckland before coming to Australia where it will be shown at special screenings in Brisbane (3rd February), Sydney (4th February) and Melbourne (5th February) (Head here for full details). It will then be shown in South Africa, the UK and hopefully Europe – and, further down the track, in the US.
As for the future, McCormack – as well as travelling – is anticipating focusing more on the church plant they have in London. “Perhaps spend more time in London and just build the church there.”
