"I Can Only Imagine" (PG, 1:50) is a dramatization of the creation of the all-time most popular contemporary Christian song, after which the film is named. The story follows the rise of MercyMe, the group which made the song famous, focusing on the life of lead singer Bret Millard, who wrote the song as his way of healing from his abusive childhood. Yes, this is a Christian movie, but it's also much more.
Newcomer J. Michael Finley (looking like a young Seth Rogen) stars as the adult Bret (with Brody Rose playing Bret as a child), a man trying to get past... well, his past. We see Bret as an only child being raised by a verbally and physically abusive father named Arthur (Dennis Quaid). Bret becomes a high school football player, like his father, trying for gridiron glory which eluded the elder Millard. But Brett's plans change and he accidentally discovers a talent and love for singing as a member of his school's glee club.
As Bret pursues his new dream, he distances himself from his father, but also ends up throwing away his relationship with his childhood sweetheart, Shannon (Madeline Carroll as an adult, Taegen Burns as a child). After joining the musicians who become MercyMe, Bret and company go through the usual growing pains of young musicians, even after veteran music producer Scott Brickell (Trace Adkins) takes the group under his wing. Even as they make original music and go on tour, it seems what they really need to take them to the next level is more truth in their music, songs which come from their hearts.
"I Can Only Imagine" effectively speaks to Movie Fans on several different levels. It's a story about Christian musicians which doesn't preach, but simply shows how the faith of these men affected their lives and their music. Co-directors Andrew and Jon Erwin also make this movie a story about redemption and second chances, pursuing your dreams, and rising above your circumstances, all presented in a way that most Movie Fans can relate to, religious and non-religious alike. The movie even manages some surprises, framing the story in the context of a conversation about the famous song between Bret and a woman whose significance to the story is not revealed until late in the film. To all this, add a cast that is solid from top to bottom, mixing the talents of actors with widely varying levels of acting experience, and what we have is a very entertaining and impactful motion picture. How anyone could make a Christian movie that is likely to please its core constituency, while having equal appeal to a broader audience... well, I can only imagine. "A-"
