One of the year’s most inspiring romantic movies, 2 Hearts, has the potential of saving lives thanks to its core message of faith and sacrifice, says the real-life woman who is portrayed in the movie.
The story of Leslie Bacardi falling in love with her husband, Jorge, forms much of the plot of 2 Hearts (PG-13), a romantic drama that was released in theaters in October. She was a flight attendant and Jorge a businessman when they fell for one another and married, yet their storybook romance nearly ended sooner than expected when Jorge’s lung disease worsened.
Facing a certain death, Jorge received a double lung transplant in 2008 at age 64.
The young man whose death made Jorge’s continuation of life possible was responsible for saving not only Jorge’s life but also the lives of four other people. The donor’s name was Christopher.
Leslie told Christian Headlines she hopes moviegoers consider organ donation.
“One thing I want them to think about is how much difference just one single person can make – just one person. Christopher saved five lives,” she said. “That's a pretty big deal, I think. And part of our hope for this movie was that people would watch the movie and perhaps some of them would say, ‘You know what, I think I want to be an organ donor. I think that's a really good idea. Look at what this kid did.’”
If that happens, she said, “this movie would have saved” lives.
The film also spotlights the Catholic faith of Jorge and Leslie. Faith, she said, gave them peace during Jorge’s sickness.
“To be able to get through some of these things, you really do have to rely on somebody or something. And for him, and for us, it was the church a lot – and knowing that there was somebody there that was looking over you and taking care of you,” she said.
Jorge died this year, although his impact continues not only through the movie but also through their founding of the Gabriel House of Care, which provides temporary housing for organ transplant and cancer patients as well as their caregivers in the Jacksonville, Fla., area. The nonprofit’s name was inspired by Scripture.
“When he had the transplant, we would go for walks building up his stamina, and we would talk about this boy. ... And finally, we looked at each other, ‘No, we have to give this kid a name. We can't keep calling him this boy.’ So Jorge named him Gabriel, after the archangel.'”
The two families eventually met.
“We have become extremely close with them,” she said. “We think the world of them, we spent holidays together, and we've seen their son get married and [celebrated] their new babies. And we've really been able to be a solace to them as well.”
The film stars Radha Mitchell, Adan Canto, Tiera Skovbye and Jacob Elordi.
2 Hearts is rated PG-13 for brief strong language.
Related:
3 Things to Know about 2 Hearts, the Romantic Movie with a Surprising Twist
Photo courtesy: ©Freestyle Releasing
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
