PG | 1h 52m | Biopic | 2025
“Soul on Fire,” based on John O'Leary’s bestselling book “On Fire: The 7 Choices to Ignite a Radically Inspired Life” (2016), is a warm family drama about the remarkable redemptive story of burn victim O’Leary of St. Louis.
Playing With Fire
On the way to school one January day in 1987 when he was 9 years old, John (James McCracken) sees some hooky-playing boys experimenting with gasoline and matches.Returning home and walking through the garage, he sees his dad’s lawnmower, and next to it—a full gas can. Suffice it to say, young John O'Leary ends up with third-degree burns covering 100 percent of his body. Doctors give him a less than 1 percent chance of survival.
John’s younger sisters Susie and Amy ( Lucy Panozo and Stella Bratcher) are instrumental in his survival directly post-burn—repeatedly braving smoke and fire to run to the kitchen for glasses of water to throw on their brother.
John miraculously defies all odds and survives, due to his faith and massive support from family, friends, and the surrounding community. Included in his list of supporters is one of his heroes: legendary St. Louis Cardinals baseball broadcaster Jack Buck (William H. Macy). Buck showed up at John’s hospital bedside, and his unswerving compassion and caring motivates John to keep going. Buck even attends John’s graduation from SLU.
The adversity wasn’t confined only to his lengthy hospitalization and recovery. The film chronicles that after healing physically, O’Leary faced difficulties in adapting to school, socializing, dating, and finding a career.
Post-Ashes and Performances
O’Leary’s journey and challenge is to literally rise from the ashes and not let one of life’s tragic moment define him. Today, he’s an internationally known author and motivational speaker who has inspired millions of people. At age 48, O’Leary speaks at over 100 events per year. His mission is for people to learn what it means to truly live, which is captured in the film’s tagline: “You get one life. Make yours matter.” O’Leary’s awards have accumulated.As the older O'Leary, Joel Courtney is extremely charming with his warmth, self-deprecating humor, and vulnerability. John’s mother, Susan (Stephanie Szostak), is a strong grounding influence for him.
John’s father, Denny O’Leary (John Corbett of “Sex and the City”), is clearly a kind and strong role model. Unfortunately, Corbett suffers a bit from a big-fish-in-small-pond (with small budget) dilemma. It’s just hard to be as committed emotionally when there aren’t high stakes and big money.
William H. Macy is, of course, a huge star and does a fine job. However, the fact that it’s a smallish role that could have perhaps been lent more realism by casting an unknown (and hungrier) actor, brings attention to the fact that sometimes less is more, and Macy was recruited just to score an eye-catching name.
