The Hiding Place

Reviewed by:

G. Connor Salter, Professional Writing alumnus from Taylor University, Upland, IN.

Title:

The Hiding Place

Director:

Luara Matula

Writer:

A.S. Peterson

Production Company:

Rabbit Room Theatre, Trafalgar Releasing, WTA Media, Matt Logan Productions, and MA2LA

Website:

thehidingplacefilm.com

OVERVIEW

The Hiding Place began as a 1971 book by Corrie ten Boom with John and Elizabeth Sherrill. It detailed the inspiring story of how following Germany’s invasion of the Netherlands in 1940, ten Boom’s family (sister Betty, father Casper) used their home to shelter Jews escaping the Gestapo. It’s estimated that the ten Booms helped 800 Jews escape persecution.

The book has become one of the classic World War II autobiographies and was adapted by Billy Graham’s World Wide Pictures in 1975. Jeannette Clift George played ten Boom in the movie, receiving a Golden Globe nomination.

This new film, directed by Laura Matula and written by A.S. Peterson, has a background connection to the film. As detailed on the movie’s website, George (who founded Houston’s A.D. Players theatre company in 1967) offered Peterson a chance to write a stage adaptation of The Hiding Place. Peterson’s previous work includes several historical fiction novels and a play version of Frankenstein. Fans of the Rabbit Room—the Christian artist’s community he helps lead in Nashville—probably know him better as Pete Peterson. It helps differentiate him from his brother, musician Andrew Peterson.

A.D. Players premiered Peterson’s play in 2019, followed by Rabbit Room Theatre producing it in 2020. Rabbit Room Theatre then worked with several production companies to produce an interesting hybrid: set up like a play (limited sets, etc.), following Peterson’s play script, but filmed like a movie. C.S. Lewis fans will probably think this reminds them of The Most Reluctant Convert, the movie based on a play that Fellowship for the Performing Arts released in 2021.

While the play-meets-film concept may sound challenging, The Hiding Place gets around the typical problems. It uses a cleverly-built set that transitions from being the ten Boom house to Ravensbrück concentration camp to a Dutch train station, each transition smooth so the change doesn’t jar viewers. The camera moves frequently (close-ups, even handheld camera movements for a dream sequence), making the action more engaging than most filmed plays.

The script balances many elements well. It goes backward and forward in time—ten Boom being interrogated by Nazis, then remembering how she began hiding Jews, then cutting forward to show her and Betsie in Ravensbrück, then the war’s aftermath—while using her as the narrator holding everything together, so the chronology never becomes confusing. It underlines the tough moral questions—Christians should preserve life, but what happens if they have to lie about what they’re doing to hide people? Ultimately the plot shows what ten Boom learned about faith, perseverance, and forgiveness, but never pretends she had an easy journey.

A well-made, excellent new take on an important story.

ASSESSMENT

Rating (1 to 5 stars)

5 stars

Suggested Audience:

Viewers interested in the history of WWII Christian resistance—both viewers discovering Corrie ten Boom’s story for the first time and longtime fans interested in a new rendition of her story.

Christian Impact:

The dialogue and plot clearly show how Christianity informed the ten Booms’ decision to rescue Jews. It also shows how those beliefs weren’t easy to follow—even before the authorities discover their work, there are various tense conversations with a secular German guest who scoffs at the Bible and may know more about their secrets than he lets on. An intelligent look at Christians struggling with questions about sacrifice, saving the downtrodden, and even loving one’s enemies.

Note: Peterson’s original play script is available for purchase here:

https://www.amazon.com/Hiding-Place-S-Peterson/dp/1951872002/

Fans of this movie or A.S. Peterson’s other work may enjoy the following:

https://eclalibraries.org/2020/03/11/adorning-the-dark-thoughts-on-community-calling-and-the-mystery-of-making/

https://eclalibraries.org/2021/08/20/songs-from-the-silent-passage/