A major feature film hitting the box office this month will shed some light on what you already know—supporting rescue missions, helping the homeless, getting involved— can save peoples’ lives.

“Same Kind of Different as Me” is based on the inspiring true story of Ron and Debbie Hall and their unlikely and life-changing friendship with Denver Moore, a homeless man they meet at an inner-city rescue mission in Fort Worth, Texas.

Ron, played by Greg Kinnear, is a successful art dealer who reaches out to Denver in an effort to save his struggling marriage. Debbie recognizes Denver as a man who had been in her dreams, someone she felt would “change their city and their lives.” She encourages her husband to befriend him.

“She just truly believed that kindness begets kindness,” said Academy Award-winning actress Renee Zellweger, who plays Debbie. “And her mission was to make a change within this community and see that they had a better standard of living.”

Djimon Hounsou plays Denver, a man who grew up enduring severe racism and working as a sharecropper, which many consider modern-day slavery. He is introduced in the story as a dangerous man, smashing up the shelter with a baseball bat while the Halls are serving hot meals to the homeless.

“(Debbie) could see through all the anger and she could see a heart inside of what really was a good man,” Ron said. “She said, ‘God has a calling on your life and you’re going to live to see it.’”

The Halls and Denver forged an unbreakable bond, despite their differences. The film focuses on the healing that comes as a result of their friendship, faith and commitment to helping those in need.

“The film really sheds light on what we do every day,” said John Bronkowski, director of the Rescue Mission Alliance Central Coast. “I think the more people understand the root causes of homelessness, it will affirm their conviction to get involved. Denver, like many who come through our doors, was scared, lonely and hurt, but experienced forgiveness and healing when he received a hand of friendship at the mission.”

Denver became an accomplished artist, a singer and a self-taught pianist. He and Ron wrote the international bestseller “Same Kind of Different as Me” together, and made more than 400 appearances for organizations and broadcast programs inspiring people to support homeless ministries. Denver volunteered at the Union Gospel Mission, where he met the Halls, until he died in 2012.

“You know, if you want to see a world change, you have to be involved in that,” Hall said. “And it takes love to do that. The only thing that will ultimately change a person is to love them and to not give up on them. And that’s what I want the world to see.”

“Same Kind of Different as Me” opens in theaters nationwide on Oct. 20.