Mark Bodiford (Rachel's "Bigger Brother") on "I'm Not Ashamed"

I know this was touched on elsewhere but I thought I'd expand on it.

Rachel's mother Beth Nimmo didn't tell Craig Scott about "I'm Not Ashamed" until production was beginning. On Facebook Craig seemed bewildered but generally supportive -- "this is something my mother needs to do" -- and he ended up visiting the set a lot, as he works in film.

Apparently Beth never told Mark Bodiford, either. For those who don't know, Bodiford (now called Petit) was a (much?) older semi-homeless son of crack addicts who Rachel befriended at church. He credits Rachel with giving him a sense of self-worth for the first time. She called him her "bigger brother." When Mark entered (as far as I can tell) missionary training and was banned from speaking to girls for a year, it was Rachel's idea to trade journals with him. This was his initial response to the film:

"I wonder who will play me? I mean I am sure to get left out, as 95 percent of her writings were to me, and for me- There has been such use of those, and I didn't know by giving them to your mom, I would be forgotten, by a family whos daughter or sister would have never forgot to mention me to anyone- I LOVED her and Love you and your family, at one time I called my family , but through life we have drifted a part- I will always back your play, as I told your sister, promised her I would always look after you, but never interfering with you or your families decisions of any kind, I will not start here- It would just be nice if her story was done correctly, without any agenda but LOVE- and the very REAL parts of her life, not just the way everyone wants to remember- I think its my time to write a book about her- I cry many times a year every year since that day- and picnic at her grave, and spent countless hours there when no one was around.... I miss her, and love you little brother- I need to catch up with you soon"

(Quoted due to the ban on links, etc.)

Craig responded supportively, and Mark went on to endorse the film and appear at its premiere. (There *is* a Mark character, but he has a different name. He says this is because he couldn't be traced to get permission. At the time of writing he'd just spent four months in jail, but that's ridiculous, of course. Films take years to put together, and lawyers can find people. Beth couldn't ask her son to send a FB message because Craig was clueless!)

Nothing groundbreaking, but yet more shades to Rachel as -- God forbid -- a normal girl with hints of anger, doubt, and desire, and to Beth as the one who's frozen her in amber.

Mark now lives with Craig and Mike Scott in Aurora, CO. Craig, for what it's worth, is careful to brand himself as a "Christ follower," which is quite different than the evangelical Christianity he grew up with.

Thank you for sharing this.
As far as Beth freezing Rachel in amber, it might sound bad to some but if you have lost someone you love so dearly, it's an easy thing to do.Because all you have are your memories and the love you still carry for this person.There are no more phone calls, visits,no new memories will be made.It's an endlessly empty feeling.
And you want to hold on to as much as that as you can.I'm sure that the things she does to put forth Rachel's memory are a comfort for her mom.
I understand the film isn't that accurate in some respects but I do understand why her mom does what she does and I'm sure this is how she sees her daughter especially since Rachel is not here to make any mistakes.

PaintItBlack wrote:

Thank you for sharing this.
As far as Beth freezing Rachel in amber, it might sound bad to some but if you have lost someone you love so dearly, it's an easy thing to do.Because all you have are your memories and the love you still carry for this person.There are no more phone calls, visits,no new memories will be made.It's an endlessly empty feeling.
And you want to hold on to as much as that as you can.I'm sure that the things she does to put forth Rachel's memory are a comfort for her mom.
I understand the film isn't that accurate in some respects but I do understand why her mom does what she does and I'm sure this is how she sees her daughter especially since Rachel is not here to make any mistakes.

Yes. You're right. In re-reading what I wrote I may have come off like I was judging the Scott family's grief. I didn't mean to do that. They do what they need to. I only mean to say -- and sadly it bears repeating -- that the victims were not saints or symbols but gloriously complicated people, and their loss is (for the rest of us) much more deeply felt when we remember that they had loves, desires, and contradictions that we can (mostly) never know. One reason why people latch onto Rachel, I think, is that this comes through somewhat.