I'm Not Ashamed, the inspirational true story of Rachel Scott, the first victim of the Columbine High School shootings, opened on 500 plus screens and quickly became the most popular new film in the country, earning a 93% rating from fans at the popular film websiteRottentomatoes.com. The closest competitors in the popularity derby for other newcomers were The Handmaiden and Moonlight both scored by fans at 91%. I'm Not Ashamed opened strong at the box office as well, debuting at #6 in terms of per screen average of newly released films in the top 20.
Another surprise came in the form of a report from Cinemascore, the company that the film business relies on to track viewer attitudes about movies they've just seen. I'm Not Ashamed joined an elite group of films who have received A rating from filmgoers.
"I'm thankful for the strong response from the American public," noted the film's producer Chuck Howard. "We have been blown away from the response we've received from fans and the strong increase from Friday to Saturday shows us that word of mouth is strong. We are humbled and grateful for this warm reception."
The film also earned kudos from a number of film reviewers:
"As a portrait of someone grappling with life and fending off loneliness, even thoughts of suicide, "I'm Not Ashamed" is, more than expected," noted Metro.
"It's compassionate, has a talented actress at its center, and being based on a teenager's actual journals, captures youthful dialogue better than many," noted Forbes.
"Technically, it's easily the most accomplished Pure Flix film yet," observed industry leader, AV Club, while the British newspaper Guardian singled out the film's star for special praise: "Newcomer Masey McLain...is, undeniably, a terrific, warm and engaging performer...an emotional triumph...the sky is the limit for her."
The inspiring true story of Rachel Joy Scott at Columbine High School, the film is based on Rachel's honest and heartfelt journals and is directed by Brian Baugh.
For more information visit: ImNotAshamedFilm.com.
