The other side of Steve McQueen

We all know the story of Steve McQueen, from troubled youth to Hollywood stardom, and not only the “King of Cool” but a car guy as well, from bikes in Baja to Bullitt and Le Mans.

McQueen died November 7, 1980, after undergoing treatment in Mexico for cancer. He was only 50 at the time.

By then, he had withdrawn from Hollywood, lived for a time in the Idaho hometown of his third wife, Barbara, and finally resettled in Ventura, California, where he took up flying.

McQueen’s life, and especially his final years, are the subject of Steve McQueen: American Icon, a movie produced by Greg Laurie, senior pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship.

Yes, it is a movie with an evangelical Christian message, but it also is a movie about McQueen’s life, from birth to death. It also is a story very well told, through vintage photos and movie footage and interviews with people who knew McQueen, and knew him intimately, who note how his personality changed, how he became happier, more content and friendly, after his Christian conversion.

I was part of the audience for a special screening of the movie during the recent SEMA Show. I’d read books and articles about McQueen, but while watching the film I learned new things about his life, about his acting career and his rivalries and demands, and about his withdrawal from the Hollywood lifestyle. And I’d never read or heard before about his faith.

The film has been shown in several theaters and is or soon will be available on DVD or via internet streaming.

For information, visit the movie website.