STILLWATER, Okla. – The new film "Unplanned" takes the audience inside the abortion industry courtesy of Abby Johnson who was once a passionate pro-choice advocate.
As clinic director for a Planned Parenthood in Bryant, Texas, Johnson said she played a part in some 22,000 abortions.
Film Captures Moment Abby Johnson Quit Abortion Industry
The film depicts her emotional decision to quit after watching an abortion via ultrasound.
"It's a little surreal, if I'm honest, to watch someone play out the worst version of yourself in a film," Johnson told CBN News in an interview on the set of the film.
"But it's also just a good reminder that God can literally use anything from our past and use it for his glory and use it for his kingdom."
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Johnson's past included becoming one of the youngest clinic directors for Planned Parenthood and a spokesperson for the nation's largest abortion provider.
'Real, Gritty, Compelling'
Actor Ashley Bratcher, who appeared in other Christian films such as 90 Minutes in Heaven and War Room, plays Abby in the film.
She shared what it was like trying out for the part.
"I only got four pages of the script when I auditioned, and I thought 'Wow in these four pages there's this interesting and amazing charismatic woman who's having this experience and it's real, it's gritty, but it's compelling.'"
"And I thought 'I need to know who this woman is, and I want to tell her story.'" And after I saw Abby's testimony, I was in a puddle on the floor."
Deep Secret Shocks Actor Who Plays Abby Johnson
When Bratcher's mother learned of her movie role, she shared a deep secret with her daughter about the time she almost aborted her.
"She said 'I'm going to tell you something that I haven't told you before.'' And she said to me 'I was in the clinic. I had my name called. I went back. I was being examined by a woman who was very pregnant, and I was on the table and that was when I changed my mind.'"
"To hear I was seconds away from not existing. And then also to know that here I am telling Abby's Johnson's story. It's so clear to me and evident that God's hand at work is present on this project," said Bratcher.
"We're Taking on a Great Evil"
Meanwhile, faith-based filmmakers Chuck Konzelman and Cary Solomon, who co-wrote "God's Not Dead," say they're preparing for the likely backlash against a film that highlights the ugly truth inside the abortion industry.
"We're taking on a monster," said Solomon. "We're taking on a great evil. We're taking on the devil's grinder machine. So, when you go up against that he's going to protect that, we have no naïve thought that Planned Parenthood won't fight back."
Konzelman added, "There's nothing pretty about abortion. Both sides know that. Both sides, if they're honest, will admit that. Both sides are dug in pretty tight as far as whether they think it should be acceptable or not."
Johnson, now pro-life champion, says the cast and crew know a spiritual battle lies ahead.
"We pray every day," she said. "We pray against spiritual warfare in our home, in our marriage, with our family and certainly with various pro-life projects that I'm a part of and certainly this film."
Not About Attacking, but Redemption
But Bratcher maintains this project isn't about attacking the other side.
"I think this film is about healing, about redemption and about knowing that you've never gone too far that you can escape the grace of God, that he's so merciful and that you can absolutely be forgiven."
**Originally published October 9, 2018
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