Walt Disney's highly anticipated screen adaptation of "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" --- the first book of a seven-part fantasy series known collectively as "The Chronicles of Narnia" --- should swell the already legion fan base of C.S. Lewis' beloved, Christian-flavored children's tales.

But many of those thronging to theaters, or for that matter reading the books, may know little about Lewis himself, or the events and experiences in his life that inspired and gave shape to his magical stories.

To coincide with the film's release, a one-hour docudrama, "C.S. Lewis: Beyond Narnia," will debut Dec. 9, 8-9 p.m. on cable's Hallmark Channel and take a look at the man behind the enchanted wardrobe.

Produced for Faith & Values Media, the family-oriented and exceptionally well-made program examines Lewis' personal and spiritual life, interweaving theatrical-caliber dramatizations with commentary from Lewis scholars and others, including an interview with Lewis' stepson, Douglas Gresham.

Filmed on location in England, with Lewis (soulfully portrayed by Anton Rodgers) serving as a tour guide of sorts, the special traces the author's life from his idyllic childhood in Northern Ireland, to his student days at Oxford, his combat experiences during World War I, and distinguished academic career at Oxford, where he taught literature until his death one week shy of his 65th birthday in 1963.

But the real arc charted is that of Lewis' circular spiritual journey from cradle Christian, to avowed atheist, to staunch defender of Christian orthodoxy, and how he struggled to reconcile his faith --- especially his belief in a benevolent, omnipotent God --- with the existence of pain and suffering.

"Beyond Narnia" details how, when he was a young boy, the trauma of his mother's death and his father's subsequent emotional remoteness effected a seismic shift in Lewis' soul, leading him to feel that God had abandoned him.

Dispatched to boarding school, the Anglican lad who would become arguably the greatest Christian apologist of the 20th century increasingly sought escape from "a meaningless and nonsensical faith," confessing complete atheism by adolescence.

Not even the Great War could make him recant his hardened apostasy, with Lewis recalling how, despite the horrors of the trenches, he "never sunk so low as to pray."

Upon returning to Oxford, Lewis would find his skepticism challenged by his colleagues, a close-knit storytelling circle that included fellow fabulist J.R.R. Tolkien. After much soul-searching, this most "reluctant convert in all England" took the leap of faith, acknowledging that "God was indeed God, whether I wanted him to be or not."

Lewis believed "imagination reflects heavenly truths," a contention that found its purest expression in the imaginative terrain of Narnia, a storybook realm populated by a fantastic bestiary culled from Lewis' lifelong passion for fairy tales and mythology.

Published in 1950, "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" was originally conceived earlier as an amusement for children evacuated to his Oxford home during the German air raids on London. It tells the story of four siblings who happen upon an enchanted wardrobe that serves as a portal to a magical world held under the wintry spell of an evil witch.

Despite his friend Tolkien's distaste for allegory, Lewis' tale is full of religious symbolism, including a leonine Christ figure, Aslan, who sacrificially lays down his life, only to be resurrected. (The program anachronistically shows Lewis reading the book to his wartime wards, though it was not written until several years after the war's close.)

The docudrama also touchingly describes Lewis' marriage to American divorcee Joy Gresham (portrayed by Diane Venora), which, though initially entered into as a way to forestall Gresham's deportation following visa complications, deepened into genuine love. Lewis' faith was "shaken to its roots" when Gresham died of terminal cancer in 1960. Surprisingly, left out is discussion of creative influences such as George MacDonald, the man Lewis once credited with "baptizing" his imagination.

"Beyond Narnia" was written and directed by Norman Stone, who also directed the original BBC production of "Shadowlands" about the evolving love between Lewis and Gresham, later made into a feature film by David Attenborough starring Anthony Hopkins and Debra Winger.

Though told in broad strokes, the visually graceful "Beyond Narnia" serves as a wonderful if incomplete introduction to Lewis and makes rewarding viewing for not only fans of his Narnia books, but for anyone interested in learning about one of the most keen Christian and literary minds of the past century.

---CNS