In "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge", producer Robert Enrico delivers an inspired story of profound reflection, one that explores the meaning of life and one man's unique journey to find inner peace. The time is the period during the Civil War. A Confederate soldier known only as Peyton is a prisoner of the Union soldiers and about to be hanged. The lessons of this strange tale are revealed in three distinct stages as we travel with Peyton from the final moment of his mortal life to his ultimate destination and salvation. First, we see Peyton standing with the hangman's knot at his neck. The plank is pulled from beneath his feet, and in an instant, Peyton is reborn, baptized in the waters of Owl Creek, waters that seem to release him from his past. In the second part of the journey, Peyton becomes aware of the beauty of the world around him, a world he has never known. Finally, Peyton reaches his ultimate destination and finds peace in the love of his family. These unforgettable images remind us that salvation is a journey, a process of releasing one's past and embracing the beauty and love that life offers. .
As Peyton stands on the bridge awaiting his execution, he listens to the ticking of his watch. Louder, faster, the final seconds of his mortal life tick away. Then, the watch is taken from him by a Union soldier, a subtle reminder that Peyton's time is up. But as the plank is pulled from beneath his feet, Peyton miraculously begins a journey into the next world, falling into the deep waters of Owl Creek. Struggling in the darkness of certain death, he must not only shed the heavy boots of his mortal past, but he must also break free from the noose of his demise. Coming to terms with his Earthly existence, Peyton is absolved from his past and now emerges from the darkness into the light, having achieved redemption. As he rises up from the water and breathes his first new breath, Peyton is reborn.