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This article is about the original 2000 movie with Kirk Cameron. For the 2014 film reboot, see Left Behind (2014 film).

"In an instant, millions of people vanish. For those left behind, the apocalypse has just begun."
―Official Tagline


Left Behind: The Movie is a 2000 Christian thriller film and the first in the series of films based on the Left Behind book series. It is a film adaptation of the novel of the same name by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. It was directed by Vic Sarin and was theatrically released on February 2, 2001. The film stars Kirk Cameron, Brad Johnson and Clarence Gilyard, Jr.. Left Behind is touted by its creators as the biggest and most ambitious Christian film ever made. In the words of star Janaya Stephens, "Left Behind is not the story about those who were called to Heaven, it's about those who were left behind."

Left Behind: The Movie is the first in a three part trilogy. The second being Left Behind II: Tribulation Force and the third Left Behind: World at War.

Plot[]

A young television journalist for the GNN network, Cameron "Buck" Willams, reports from Israel about a new technology developed by Chaim Rosenzweig with which food will grow almost anywhere. He calls this a miracle. Suddenly, Russian jets fly over, attempting to attack Israel. The entire squadron of jets is mysteriously destroyed. That night, following the events of the attack, Buck comes across two mysterious men who cryptically warn him, "He will confirm a covenant with many for seven years."

The story shifts to Pilot Rayford Steele who has been called in for an emergency flight from Chicago to London, thus forcing him to abandon his son's birthday party. Despite his wife's and his daughter's protests, he sets out on the flight, leaving his family behind, though he reveals to Chloe that part of the reason for leaving is his alienation towards her new faith in Christ, especially when they invite the son of their church's associate pastor, Bruce Barnes. Chloe suggests that he should try talking to her instead of always fleeing and avoiding the subject, but he doesn't listen. Buck, having decided to go to London for an investigation of the attack, boards Steele's plane.

Aboard the plane, it is revealed that Rayford is having an affair with fellow flight attendant Hattie Durham and are planning their own getaway in London. This presumably explains the real reason he agreed to the emergency flight, as well as being motivated out of Rayford's strained relationship with Irene following her conversion.

PeopleMissing

During the flight some passengers awaken to realize that several of their fellow passengers are missing. Panic sets in as Steele and his crew try to contain this situation. Upon returning to the flight cockpit, they discover that Christians are mysteriously disappearing worldwide. He is forced to turn the plane back to Chicago.

Rayford'sRevelation

Shortly after landing, Buck locates Steele and asks him to fly him to New York City. Steele refuses, saying that he has to be with his family. He asks Buck to go with him and they drive to his suburban home.

Meanwhile, Steele's daughter Chloe is driving to her college exam when she encounters a large traffic accident. People are reporting driver less cars and children missing from their seats. While Chloe is inspecting the carnage, her car is stolen and Chloe is left stranded on the highway.

Rayford'sDiscovery

Steele returns home, and is devastated when he discovers that his wife and son also disappeared in the vanishing. He begins to read his wife's Bible, beginning to wonder if everything his wife told him was true. He and Buck are forced to stay in Steele's house because of a military-enforced curfew.

Chloe returns home and reunites with her father. Soon Chloe goes downstairs and discovers Buck sleeping on the couch, who asks her about a pilot her father told him about, Kenneth Ritz. Knowing the pilot, Chloe drives Buck to him in her mom's Jeep Grand Cherokee and goes to look for her and her younger brother after dropping him off. Steele finds her in at her brother's elementary school and suggests looking at the church they attended since that's where they were the happiest and spent most of their time, but she argues that they were happiest when he was around.

BruceBarnes

After Chloe returns home, Rayford goes to their neighborhood church and finds Barnes alone at the pulpit, confessing to God how his life, especially as a pastor, was all phony; he always knew God's word, but never actually believed it. He then begs God for another chance, and Steele, walking in on Bruce's plea of forgiveness, assures him that God already has as he also begs God for salvation alongside him. They later watch a videotape left by the senior Pastor Vernon Billings, explaining the meaning of Rapture, in which all the believers are taken to heaven, while the rest are left behind to endure the Tribulation.

Steele returns home to tell Chloe about his faith, and tries convincing her to watch Billings' tape. Chloe is only annoyed, however, and does not respond. Later that evening, Hattie comes to Rayford's house to say goodbye to him before going to her new job. Rayford, newly reformed by Christ, tells her that their affair was a mistake and attempts to tell her about his newfound faith, but she rebuffs him. Chloe, having overheard the conversation, confronts her father about his secret affair, but he assures her that he's realized his mistakes and is going to continue in his newfound faith in Christ. He tells her that Irene and Raymie, along with other believers, have been taken out of the world to be spared of the Tribulation period, but she still isn't convinced.

Buck&Car

When Buck gets to NYC and finds his contact has been killed, he takes a computer disc, and is almost shot by a sniper. At his assistant's apartment, they decode the computer disc and finds data regarding ten tracts of land and the destroyed remains of Solomon's temple in Jerusalem, where the Islamic Mosque now resides. After watching a news report by pacifist and personal associate of Dr. Rosenzweig, Nicolae Carpathia, Buck sees his connection to Jonathan Stonagal and Joshua Todd-Cothran. Later that night, Buck meets with Alan Tompkins and learns that Stonagal and Cothran are planning to bankrupt the UN to obtain the ten tracts of land. Buck remembers their connection with Carpathia, whose partnership with Chaim allows them access to the Eden formula, the only thing that can make the land profitable. This leads Buck to realize their plan to dominate the world by locking up its entire food supply, manipulating Nicolae as their puppet to achieve their goal. A car bomb explodes and kills Alan, having been planted by the same assassin who gunned Dirk down. Buck returns to the Steele house, attended to by Rayford and Chloe after passing out due to an injury he sustained from the explosion.

At the church, Bruce and Rayford show Buck and Chloe the tape, and they look to the Bible to see how Stonagal and Cothran's plans to bankrupt the UN are leading up to the Bible's prophesied reign of the antichrist, who will be introduced to the world in the rebuilt temple in Jerusalem. After Buck argues that the Islamic Arabs will never allow this, Barnes further reveals the antichrist will establish a seven-year peace covenant with Israel, tying back to the warning Buck received from the two men at the beginning of the film. Although he is startled hearing this, Buck is unable to believe it, and goes to the UN to warn the Chaim. Rayford attempts to stop him by warning him that without faith in God, he will be left susceptible to the antichrist's deception. Bruce further reasons with him that God is trying to get his attention, especially being at the church. Buck ignores their advice and goes to the UN anyway. After his departure, Rayford and Chloe, the latter having finally turned to God, pray for him.

NicolaeUnitedNations

At the UN, Buck warns both Chaim and Carpathia about Cothran and Stonogal's plot for world domination. Seemingly hurt and betrayed by his lifelong friends, Nicolae believes Buck and decides to expose them during a private meeting for global peace. After coming across some blueprints, they reveal to Buck their plan to rebuild Solomon's temple in Jerusalem, serving as an incentive symbol of the proposed seven year peace treaty. Realizing that everything Bruce told him is true, Buck finally turns to God and asks Him to show him the way. At the meeting, Nicolae reveals his plan for global reformation for his "seven years of peace." Remembering what Barnes warned him about the antichrist's plans for world domination, Buck realizes that Nicolae is the antichrist. When Stonagal and Cothran protest, Nicolae exposes their plot to use his own plans for global peace and unity against him for their own plan plan to dominate the world and shoots the both of them dead. Using his supernatural powers, Nicolae easily manipulates and brainwashes everyone at the meeting that Stonagal actually murdered Cothran before himself, except for Buck, who is under God's protection. After the meeting Buck asks Hattie and Chaim what they saw, but realizes they were all brainwashed when they each reply to seeing the murder-suicide.

The film ends with Buck returning to the church and reuniting with Rayford, Chloe and Bruce, preparing to start the Tribulation Force. Buck narrates over how Biblical prophecy is now unfolding; the seven years of the antichrist's rule will be the worst times in human history and their only hope to endure these years is their faith in God.

Cast[]

Production[]

Filming[]

Cloud Ten Pictures licensed the rights to the first two Left Behind novels from Namesake Entertainment, which had licensed them from the books' authors. Filming commenced in early May 2000 and continued for a total of 31 days.

An Ontario quarry was used for the scenes of Israel. Bowmanville Zoo's Mike Hackenberger commented, "Camels sell the look.... As a prop, camels are great. You can move 'em around, you can stick 'em there, and you see a camel on sand, you know it's desert. . . They might not fit through the eye of the needle, but without them, this movie would have been a disaster. There should be at least one camel in every movie."

Casting[]

Before Janaya Stephens took the role of Chloe Steele, it had been given to Lacey Chabert, who dropped out due to scheduling conflicts.

Some of the extras who played the saved were various Christian ministers, most notably John Hagee (who is featured on the airplane shortly before the mass disappearance, and who was also very instrumental in the movie's promotion) and T.D. Jakes (who appears as Pastor Vernon Billings in the video that the group watches, telling them what to expect). Christian music artists were also used as extras, such as Bob Carlisle and Rebecca St. James, who appear as workers in the Global News Network control room, and the Christian group Jake, who appear as police guards towards the end of the movie.

Soundtrack[]

On October 3, 2000, Reunion Records released Left Behind: The Movie Soundtrack, featuring a collection of songs from and inspired by the film.

Critical reception[]

The film was widely criticized and received only a 12% positive rating among reviewers on the Rotten Tomatoes website. The Washington Post's Desson Howe, described it as "...a blundering cringefest, thanks to unintentionally laughable dialogue, hackneyed writing and uninspired direction. The more this movie tries, the worse it gets. Its sincerity ends up becoming a bulging bull's-eye for rotten-tomato throwers."

One of the authors of the book series, Tim LaHaye (who along with Jerry B. Jenkins, refused to attach their names to the film) was outraged over this, as claimed he was promised a movie version on a $40 million budget and a two-hour adaptation, and sued Namesake and Cloud Ten for $10 million. Jerry Jenkins, however, refused to join as a plaintiff in the lawsuit and LaHaye's claims were eventually dismissed by the trial court. After an appeal by LaHaye reinstated some of the claims, the parties finally settled the case in July 2008. LaHaye dropped all claims against Namesake and Cloud Ten in exchange for an option to remake the films based on the first two books in the series.

Deleted scenes[]

The following scenes were deleted from the movie.

  • An extended version of the conversation between Cameron "Buck" Williams and Chloe Steele on their way to see Ken Ritz (supposedly revealing more about their thoughts as to the disappearances)
  • Bruce Barnes' search for Pastor Vernon Billings' videotape concerning the Rapture.
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