 |
Saint--who narrated last year's Beyond the Gates of Splendor, a documentary on the same subject--also felt compelled to give Allen a real shot at the role. “Steve read the (Advocate) article, and in the article, I spoke of things of a spiritual nature. Steve said the same things that I spoke about in that article were the same things that he fought his whole life for and it would be wrong not to ask me to do it,” Allen says. “There was a lot of friction. A lot of people did not want me playing this part. They felt it was a slap in the face to (Steve 's) father's memory. Steve was really in anguish over why I'd been chosen and what this was all about. It was a hard time.“ Despite so much debate, Allen and Saint soldiered on together to get the film made. Now, it's up to audiences to decide its fate. The relatively modest, $10 million film opens Friday (January 20) around the country alongside the sexy horror saga Underworld: Evolution and the much-talked-about Colin Farrell flick The New World. End of the Spear has already earned the Crystal Heart Award from the Heartland Film Festival, and its release coincides with the 50th anniversary of the tragic events in Ecuador. But Christian message boards are already taking aim at Allen's casting in the film, calling it “sinful” and “just plain sick.” The actor's role as an activist in the gay community (and the way he “flaunts” his sexuality) is also drawing fire from the religious right, some of whom are calling for boycotts of the film. Whatever happens, Allen seems proud of the work he has done, and Saint--after so much struggling--remains secure in the fact that the legacy of his father and the other missionaries has been preserved. “Steve's legacy and the legacy of his father meant so much to me, personally, that if he asked, (I told him) I would walk away, contractual obligation or not,” Allen says. I also said that I believed that the same God he prayed to was the same God that I prayed to, and that if God didn't want me here, I wouldn't be here. “We committed to taking care of each other and getting to know each other, and before we were done with the three-month shoot in Panama, Steve and I were great friends and were crying when we said goodbye to each other, just for the love that we formed for one another. “I know that The End of the Spear is a beautiful story, and I hope that people get a chance to see it. It was one of the greatest, most incredible experiences of my lifetime. It was just an incredible adventure and will never be forgotten.” |