Soul on Fire was released on Oct. 10 in the U.S. and Canada. This biographical drama from Sony’s Affirm Films brings to life the story of John O’Leary, a burn survivor who had a harrowing yet redemptive journey to recovery. After years of adjusting to his new life, O’Leary became a global motivational speaker, allowing his journey to reach a bigger audience. Directed by Sean McNamara and adapted by Gregory Poirier from O’Leary’s memoir On Fire: The 7 Choices to Ignite a Radically Inspired Life, the film features a strong ensemble.

Joel Courtney plays John O’Leary and William H. Macy as famed broadcaster Jack Buck. The cast also includes John Corbett as Dennis O’Leary (John’s father), Stephanie Szostak, Masey McLain and DeVon Franklin in supporting roles. Soul on Fire‘s faith-based inspiration, emotional tone and real-life roots have already captured attention. In addition, O’Leary’s hometown of St. Louis has promoted the film for shedding light on the community’s beauty and history. If you’re wondering how much of Soul on Fire is based on a true story, here’s what to know. 

Is ‘Soul on Fire’ based on a true story?

As mentioned, Soul on Fire adapts the narrative John O’Leary shared in his memoir On Fire: The 7 Choices to Ignite a Radically Inspired Life. This book was released in March 2016 and became an instant hit. Overall, the recently released film is pretty spot on when it comes to recreating O’Leary’s story, which begins with an unimaginable tragedy in his childhood. At the time, he was playing with matches and gasoline, which he had seen the older boys in his neighborhood doing. Sadly, the flames ignited and an explosion engulfed his childhood home’s garage. 

After being rushed to the hospital, O’Leary came to his senses. He learned that he had burned 100% of his body, with about 87% being third-degree burns. Shockingly, medical staff initially assessed his chance of survival as less than one percent. However, over a grueling recovery process, he spent about five months hospitalized, underwent dozens of surgeries and committed to years of rehabilitation. 

As audiences might notice, Soul on Fire preserves the broad structure and emotional truth of O’Leary’s story. Yet, in addition to this, the narrative is compressed and dramatized. As O’Leary himself describes via Christian News Wire’s report, the film’s narrative is more so an inspired-by adaptation that is “an awesome testament to the profound impact one life has on others. It’s a celebration of the everyday heroes and a reminder that when we finally shift from focusing on personal imperfections to accepting the gift our life already is, amazing things can happen.”

Where did John O’Leary grow up?

The film’s sense of location is a significant part of the narrative since O’Leary was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri. As a result, his ties to the city are woven deeply into the story. Things like schooling, family life, community connections and his later recovery and transition into adult life are very clearly rooted in Missouri. Another factor that makes O’Leary’s upbringing in this retelling of his story particularly significant is that the production actually decided to film there. 

Interestingly, as St. Louis Magazine reports, the original plan for filming was to capture scenes in either Vancouver or Hollywood. But after O’Leary took director Sean McNamara on a personal tour of his hometown, the rest was history. In the end, they used local neighborhoods, landmarks and even Saint Louis University to give some authenticity to the production.

Even to this day, O’Leary credits the city with being a source of strength. As reported by Saint Louis University, the community even rallied around his family in their time of distress. He shared, “Our neighbors opened up their homes to my siblings as we waited for the house to be repaired; the community raised money, donated blood, offered prayers, brought food. I had never before fully considered all the people who came together to make the miracle a reality.”

What is the ‘Soul on Fire’ movie about?

Soul on Fire charts the trajectory of John O’Leary’s life. The narrative opens up with a young John copying neighborhood kids by playing with gasoline and matches in his family’s garage, which leads to catastrophe. This explosion engulfs him and propels him into a wall, then it consumes much of the garage. As he shared with the Phoenix Society, “I saw flames all around and orange flashes from within me. I was covered with gasoline and burning. And I couldn’t stop, drop, and roll because everything was on fire.”

When he regained consciousness, O’Leary’s mother said something that changed his life forever. After he asked if he would be okay, his mother earnestly said, “John, do you want to die? It’s your choice, not mine.” From that moment on, he took an active part in his physical and emotional healing. It was his family’s faith and encouragement and the hospital staff’s dedication that really helped him to not give up, as viewers get to see.

As Soul on Fire depicts, John had a notable relationship with baseball broadcaster Jack Buck, who visited him in the hospital, lifted his spirits and later became a mentor figure. While John learned to live his life with disability and scars, he got more comfortable being in the spotlight. He became a motivational speaker, author and major advocate for burn victims.

This journey to self-acceptance was no easy one. But it is one that fans of the inspirational survivor get to see on screen for the first time. So, the movie positions his story not simply as one of survival, but of triumph. It invites viewers to transform their own pain into purpose.

Frequently Asked Questions

How old was John O’Leary when he was burned?

John O’Leary was just nine years old when he was burned. The incident happened on Jan. 17, 1987 and as a result, all of his fingers on both hands were amputated. At an incredibly young age O’Leary had to relearn many basic skills like writing, walking and just being able to care for himself day to day.

Is John O’Leary married?

Per his SIFMA bio, John O’Leary considers one of his life’s greatest accomplishments to be his marriage to his wife, Beth.