Press Clippings

A new documentary on Lewis' life and work, produced by Chicago-area filmmakers, is premiering just when we most urgently need to be reminded of Lewis' legacy. His was a calm, patient view of religious belief, an amiable and generous attitude. That sense of genial goodness shines forth in "The Magic Never Ends: The Life and Work of C.S. Lewis," narrated by Ben Kinsgley. The premiere date was chosen long before Sept. 11, but seems especially fitting now, David Crouse, Executive Producer said. "C.S. Lewis wrote with such depth about grieving, suffering and anger. I hope the show is of some small comfort."

IN THE SPOTLIGHT
The popularity of C.S. Lewis's books has led to interest in Lewis himself; biographies and dramatic films have detailed his journey from atheism to faith in Christ. The Magic Never Ends by John Ryan Duncan (W Publishing Group, 2001) is a readable and concise addition to the canon, with good photographs and incisive quotations from Lewis scholars and others who knew him.

The book, a companion piece to a documentary to be distributed by PBS this year, does not bow to efforts to downplay Lewis's Christianity (WORLD, June 16, 2001). The book and the documentary function as an oral history, recording the thoughts of Lewis stepson Douglas Gresham, editor Walter Hooper, archivist Christopher Mitchell, and scholars Lyle Dorsett, Colin Manlove, and Dabney Hart. Veteran Lewis fans will enjoy the reminiscences, and those who are just encountering Lewis (perhaps after watching the first Lord of the Rings movie) will learn about how he became a Christian and a lifelong friend of J.R.R. Tolkien.

A sigh of relief for C.S. Lewis fans
PBS's documentary on C.S. Lewis puts to rest any fears that people are trying to hide his Christianity.
Christianity Today, November 3, 2001

Did you happen to catch the PBS documentary "The Magic Never Ends: The Life & Work of C.S. Lewis"? Here in Chicago, it aired on Sunday night. But it will probably air on other PBS stations at other times. It was pretty good, with solid interviews from Debra Winger (who played Joy Gresham in Shadowlands), Wheaton College's Lyle Dorsett (who also happens to be senior pastor at Weblog's church), Douglas Gresham (Lewis's stepson), Christopher Mitchell, Walter Hooper, Dabney Hart, and Colin Manlove. Ben Kingsley narrated. Weblog won't offer a full review here (one is likely forthcoming with the next PBS Lewis documentary), but would like to note how evangelical - actually, evangelistic - the documentary was. Lewis's Christianity was focal, and contained some very explicit presentations of the gospel. So why all the fuss earlier this year about Carol Hatcher's planned documentary and the supposed de-Christianizing of Lewis's works? Hatcher claimed her film was sabotaged by the Lewis estate because it was too Christian. After "The Magic Never Ends," which was produced with obvious assistance and approval from the Lewis estate and Gresham (who was portrayed as a villain in the Hatcher saga), that claim is a lot more dubious.

Copies of the "Magic Never Ends" video and tie-in book are also available.

Film Home > Christianity Today Magazine > Culture & Technology > Film

Christianity Today, January 7, 2002

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You Big screen and small screen features focus on C.S. Lewis
By Douglas LeBlanc
\posted 01/23/2002

The Magic Never Ends: The Life and Work of C.S. Lewis (Crouse Entertainment Group/Duncan Group) will appear on various PBS affiliates during 2002. This one-hour documentary is heavy on transitional shots from the lush countryside of Great Britain, as if the title were C.S. Lewis and the Landscapes He Loved to Walk. But it also includes engaging interviews, ranging from Lewis scholar Lyle Dorsett of Wheaton College to actress Debra Winger, who portrayed Lewis's wife, Joy Davidman, in the film Shadowlands. It does not shrink away from topics like Lewis's complicated relationship with Janie King Moore, the mother of a comrade who died in World War I. The Magic Never Ends is not a definitive video biography of Lewis. Nevertheless, it discusses his Christianity without any politically correct throat-clearing. For those who do not wish to wait for PBS, the video is available for purchase ($19.95) on Duncan Group's Web site.

THE MAGIC NEVER ENDS (PBS): Subtitled The Life and Work of C.S. Lewis, this superb new documentary reminds us that Lewis, the Irish-born Oxford and Cambridge professor, scholar and author of 38 books, was both the leading Christian apologist of much of the 20th century and its greatest writer of children's literature.

Jack Lewis, an Anglican, was a close friend of Tolkien and Chesterton and a famous convert from disbelief at 33 ("the most significant event of his life").

He suffered his hardest tests of faith over the untimely deaths of the women he cherished most. His mother died when he was nine. ("God isn't there," he feared.) The death of his young (45) wife, Joy, after a long struggle with cancer ended an idyllic love story. ("She opened him up the way true love always does.") This was described in the several play-film versions of Shadowlands.

His best-known books (a million are routinely sold annually) are the delightful Chronicles of Narnia and the satiric Screwtape Letters. They are described and discussed by experts and admirers including narrator Ben Kingsley and actress Debra Winger (who played Joy opposite Anthony Hopkins's Jack in the film Shadowlands). Lewis "cuts through all the denominational rubbish," says one commentator, "to the tradition we all have in common."

Classic stills and film cover large and small moments of his life, and the beautiful English countryside and academe he loved. Writer-director Chip Duncan provides a moving passage on Lewis's own death, which happened on the same day as the John F. Kennedy assassination in 1963.

Jack Lewis's charm was his hearty wit and wisdom: He's not an ideal cinematic man of action or adventure. But as one who knew pain and moved in a life's journey from atheist to a defender of the faith, Lewis still speaks to many who struggle in a time of both materialism and indescribable evil. ("He's helped so many wounded....You see more than you've ever seen before.") This fine memoir can be purchased at DuncanEntertainment.com or 888-717-9977.

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