Let There Be Light 2017

Dr. Sol Harkens is a vocal, outspoken atheist who steps into the arena of ideas in a public debate against a charismatic Christian leader. The debate ends with him seen as the winner, elevating his profile and fueling a whirlwind of media attention. He heads to a party for his book, hoping to celebrate his perceived victory, while trying to persuade his girlfriend to join him for the night. She resists, leaving him feeling rejected and eager to escape into sleep. As he drives home in a fog of alcohol, his publicist calls with plans to push his message further, urging more speaking engagements to widen his reach. The combination of heavy drinking and late-night driving culminates in a catastrophic crash into a construction site.

What follows is otherworldly and disorienting in equal measure. Sol finds himself standing in a carnival-like tunnel of light, a surreal boundary between the living and the beyond. There, he is visited by visions of his young son David, who died years earlier from cancer. The specter of David greets his father with warmth and encouragement, insisting that Sol can still be saved by faith. The child’s message is clear and urgent: that Sol should open himself to divine love. In a moment charged with emotion, the son proclaims a hopeful directive, and Sol, who has been clinically dead for four minutes, begins to stir back to life. The awakening is not just physical but spiritual, as he regains consciousness to the sight of his Christian ex-wife Katy by his side, who gently reassures him and listens as he recounts the encounter.

His medical team, however, offers a sober counterpoint: the visions are described as adrenal brain surges triggered by trauma, not divine visitation. This explanation does little to quiet Sol’s inner turmoil, as he remains torn between the scientific explanations demanded by his training and the transformative experience that unsettled his core beliefs. Katy’s return to his life triggers a cascade of emotional and theological questions that pull him toward spirituality in a way he had long resisted. He seeks guidance from a church, meeting Vinny, a pastor who carries the weight of a past life as a mob member. Vinny recounts a resurrection story that resonates with Sol, and the conversation plants a seed of conviction that grows into a renewed faith. Sol undergoes baptism again, embracing a belief system that had once seemed foreign to him, and this decision begins to reshape his relationships and priorities.

As Sol becomes a more public voice for faith, his personal life undergoes a profound transformation. He rekindles a romantic relationship with Katy, and they embark on a path toward rebuilding their family, now with two surviving sons. Sol’s renewed faith strengthens their bond, and he proposes, a moment Katy accepts with a sense of cautious optimism. Yet life remains fragile: Katy reveals she has cancer, and the disease is at a point where treatment offers little hope. Their renewed happiness is tempered by the knowledge of her illness, a reminder of the impermanence that shadows every human hope.

The story also turns outward, as Sol’s message gains national attention. Fox News hosts a prominent figure, Sean Hannity, who invites Sol to share his testimony on television, treating his experience as a story with potential universal significance. Sol envisions a bold, hopeful campaign: a global call for peace under the banner of the “Let There Be Light” initiative. The concept is elegantly simple, yet emotionally powerful. If people around the world could lift their lights toward the sky at night, it would symbolize a shared commitment to unity, transcending borders, creeds, and divisions. The campaign captures the imagination, and nights across the globe become a chorus of small lights shining upward to the heavens.

On the night of the world-wide lighting event, the spectacle unfolds in a way that feels both intimate and cosmic. Sol’s personal life, deeply rooted in family time, continues at home as he and Katy, newly remarried, gather with their children for a quiet moment of togetherness, singing Christmas songs under a clear night sky. In a wrenching turn of fate, Katy’s condition worsens, and she dies in Sol’s arms just as the world’s lights reach their peak. The juxtaposition of grand, hopeful symbolism with intimate, painful loss gives the narrative its quiet, resonant power.

Throughout the film, Sol’s journey traces a careful arc from skepticism to belief, from personal ambition to family-centered faith, and from a public persona built on intellect to a private life anchored in love and compassion. The interplay between science and spirituality is treated with a measured, contemplative lens, inviting viewers to consider how moments of crisis can illuminate the deepest questions about meaning, purpose, and connection. The characters move through a landscape where doubt and devotion coexist, and where a single, transformative experience—whether understood as miracle or neurological drama—can redirect a life toward a purpose that feels larger than oneself. The result is a story that leans into hope without ignoring the pain that accompanies profound change, culminating in a bittersweet note about faith, memory, and the enduring power of family.

Let there be light!