Local child-actor co-stars in 90 Minutes in Heaven

Hudson Meek, a 7-year-old Vestavia Hills resident, will be on the big screen this September.

Meek is the son of Derek and Lani Meek and the younger brother of Tucker Meek, who has starred in Lifetime’s The Santa Con. 

Meek co-stars in the movie 90 Minutes in Heaven alongside Hayden Christiansen and Kate Bosworth. He plays the role of Chris Piper, the son of Don and Eva Piper. This is Meek's first movie role.

The film is based on Don Piper’s best-selling book by the same title. In 1989, Piper left a church conference and was struck by an 18-wheeler. He was pronounced dead by multiple EMTs but later recovered consciousness. Piper said he was able to experience heaven during the time he was pronounced dead, and that experience serves as the basis of his book.

The film is the first release of Giving Films, a faith- and family-based film company and non-profit ministry. Rick Jackson, founder of Giving Films, said opening with 90 Minutes in Heaven will help bring in a wider audience.

“We formed to tell stories that resonate with the faith-and-family audience, but we also committed to a quality of production and storytelling that opens doors to wider audiences,” Jackson said.

The movie will premiere on Sept. 1 and be released nationwide on Sept. 11. As a non-profit, Giving Films gives 100 percent of profits from its films to charity.