Review for the Film I Can Only Imagine
Movie Review: "I Tin can Only Imagine"
At the time of writing this review, "I Can Only Imagine," has garnered a 65% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes. Because that faith-based films ordinarily get shredded by reviewers (oftentimes justifiably), breaking the halfway threshold is no small-scale feat. Though I was aware of the positive notices the film was getting, I still entered the theater expecting to run into some version of the sermon I heard final Sun with entertainment value a distant 2d if not third.
"I Can Only Imagine" succeeds because it doesn't mix upwards these priorities and avoids proselytizing to the choir. In doing and so, information technology has crossover appeal much like the song it takes its title from. Its narrative about Christian rock vocalist Bart Millard and his life leading up to writing the hit "I Tin can Simply Imagine" for his band MercyMe will inherently concur appeal for fans of Christian music. However, the primal to any successful music biopic is whether or not it makes the uninitiated care.
The long and curt of it: Information technology does. The motion-picture show begins with Bart as a young male child in Texas, using pop music as an escape from the abuse of his alcoholic, football obsessed father Arthur (Dennis Quaid). While at camp, his childhood crush gives him a record of Christian singer Amy Grant, sparking a dearest of Christian music, which he doesn't pursue until a high school football injury ruins his athletic prospects.
After graduating loftier school, he forms the band MercyMe and leaves his begetter behind for life on the route. While slogging away touring and struggling to come up upwards with music that can take his group to the top of Christian music, Bart suspects the inspiration he needs may lie in the unresolved tension with his dad.
This synopsis may not seem like the nigh original story, just dare I say that "I Can Only Imagine" not merely wipes the floor with nigh other faith-based films, merely many secular music biopics as well. Many entries in the genre from "Walk the Line" to Oliver Stone's "The Doors" show the creative person's stratospheric ascent to fame and subsequent tailspin into rock and roll decadence. Some (Walk the Line) exercise this well, and others (The Doors) become so boring that it comes as a relief when the rock star dies at 27.
"I Tin But Imagine," on the other hand, simply covers the time earlier MercyMe became a big Christian deed. Bart's appetite for success therefore isn't whetted for a bulk of the moving picture, which means its narrative thrust never drags.
Considering MercyMe is a Christian ring depicted without a hint of hedonism, the pic instead ties Bart'southward dream-chasing to finding peace with his father. The theme of redemption may exist an overly common one in Christian movies, but directors Jon and Andrew Erwin execute their moments of reconciliation with a light touch that feels sincere and never overdone. At that place are some plot moments that border on contrivance, like when Arthur doesn't tell Bart about a cancer diagnosis, only this conclusion is nonetheless mentally justifiable enough and has a genuinely emotional payoff, so information technology hardly matters.
What surprised me the about about "I Can Only Imagine" is how tastefully made it is in all departments. The few times I feared the movie would go too portentous with its plot, acting, or sentimental music, it always restrained itself and waited to earn its emotional moments.
The Erwin Brothers direct with a workmanlike mode that while clearly not backed past a tentpole budget, looks very pleasing and never cheap. Though the script predictably never has its characters swear, the dialogue sounds naturalistic and all of the actors evangelize it comfortably.
Michael Finley is a surprisingly compelling lead as Bart Millard. He'due south not handsome by whatever stretch, but he exudes an everyman charisma and southern charm that brand Bart a grapheme the audience tin easily get backside. Dennis Quaid chews scenery every bit Bart'south male parent, with bulging eyes and an always-crooked smile. Still, Quaid holds back just enough to garner empathy and make the viewer hope his character finds Bart's forgiveness.
Though not a perfect film, "I Can Simply Imagine" is a thoughtfully made improvement over the usual faith-based fare and should be the signpost for futurity Christian films. Considering how frequently conservatives say they long for movies that reflect their values, information technology would be foolish not to replicate this movie's success and concenter a greater audience by improving on what this motion-picture show has done: Putting story craft and moviemaking before message.
4/5 stars
Tags: Bart Millard, I Can Only Imagine
Source: https://www.conservativebookclub.com/30861/movie-tv-reviews/movie-reviews/movie-review-can-imagine
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