My Movie Review on I Can Only Imagine (2018) (Plus, a Bonus) · 8:32pm Dec 11th, 2021
Merry Christmas, my friends.
This is your friendly film, TV show, and episode reporter here with another review.
Today, for the 1st installment of this year's "Christmas Craze", I'm gonna give you guys my take of "I Can Only Imagine". The biographical film from 2018, to be precise.
At one point, I considered making a summary to explain what this movie was about because that's what I've often done for past movie reviews. But, after I thought about it more, I found it hard to explain what this film was about other than that it's a film depicting the life story of Bart Millard and the origins of his most successful song, "I Can Only Imagine". So, I decided that it would be better to just skip making a summary and simply go with what I already said.
Moving on from that...
Ever since I was a child, I've frequently listened to the actual "I Can Only Imagine" song via either a radio or a mobile device. Any time I'd hear the song's melodies and Bart Millard's singing, I would be instantly enchanted. Even today, the song itself is what I consider to be one of the best Christian songs ever. Perhaps even the best.
When I found out that there was an actual movie inspired by Millard's life and the origins of his song, I was surprised. I didn't know there was such a complex history behind "I Can Only Imagine" in real life, and the number of promotions for the movie made it all-the-more interesting to check out. The first time I watched it was around last year, although I later saw it for the second time in my life not too long ago in preparation for reviewing it.
Coming from a guy who saw the film again, I will say that I enjoyed "I Can Only Imagine (2018)" the first time I watched it. The second time I watched it, though...I found it to be even better than I remembered it being! To put it simply, the film is a rare motion picture where one's experiences with it are better than the last.
For instance, the direction by the Erwin Brothers, the story by Jon Erwin and Brent McCorkle, and the screenplay by Erwin and McCorkle, were amazing.
Now I would like to say that the film wasn't entirely accurate with Millard's past history. An example is that while it is true that Bart's father and mother divorced during his childhood, Bart didn't actually stay with his father. In reality, he stayed with his mother after they divorced. But, the historical inaccuracies hardly matter thanks to the film being a genuine love letter to both Millard and the "I Can Only Imagine" song.
Every step of the way, I noted how gut-punchingly emotional and heartfelt the film was, and the dramatic moments of the film were well-worked and didn't get too overwhelming or over-the-top. Everything about the elements I mentioned had a sense of something incredibly human, most notably because of how genuine they were. Despite the film not being a comedy, there were moments that were quite witty too, which helped lighten the mood a bit.
The film as a whole also had wonderful morals about forgiveness, which particularly came full force after the reunion between Bart and his father. No matter how much someone hurts us, it's better to forgive than to always hold a grudge. Jesus is a loving God whose grace knows no bounds, and he forgives us for our sins whenever we confess how imperfect we are, admit our wrongs, and commit ourselves to Him. It's among the reasons for why Jesus is such a loving Lord to follow, and his ability to forgive is one that we must always model ourselves after.
The acting, characters, and character development were fantastic as well.
In my opinion, J. Michael Finley was perfect for the role of Bart Millard. Regardless of the differences between him and the real Bart Millard, Finley incorporated all the heart and spirit required to honor Millard and his music career. Whenever Finley sang, it'd be like listening to an angel with a voice of gold. Every moment Finley was on the screen, he ensured that his portrayal as was as authentic and human as possible by incorporating powerful emotion and personality. Millard himself had dynamic development throughout the film.
Likewise, Dennis Quaid was phenomenal in the role of Bart's father, Arthur Millard. In all the scenes Arthur was featured in, Quaid threw himself into portraying the character both physically and emotionally, and all with a sense of something incredibly human. He incorporated great personality too.
In addition to this, Arthur's character development was powerful beyond compare, and it showcased a definite example of how wonderful becoming a follower of Jesus is. He started out as an abusive monster to his wife and son, but when he chose to become a Christian and worship Jesus he became someone who was kindhearted and compassionate. If not for that, he would never have gotten the chance to actually connect with Bart after all those years of being so cruel to him. And yes, all of this happened in real life with Millard's actual father, and I know this because I researched the origins of the song myself.
The supporting cast and characters were enjoyable too. Madeline Carroll was amazing in the role of Shannon Street, and the characters herself was lovable, full of personality, and very well-developed. Trace Adkins was likewise quite a scene-stealer in the role of Scott Brickell, and so was Prisceilla Shirer as Mrs. Fincher. Scott and Fincher instantly stood out to me as well.
Finally, the music by Brent McCorkle was magnificent.
Whether I had watched a movie where a filmmaker also composed for a movie is something I don't know. But, when it came to creating an emotionally soul-tugging film score that's unexpectedly larger than life, McCorkle didn't mess around! Everything about the music he created was breathtakingly three-dimensional and filled with human spirit, and the melodies reflected every scene splendidly. The songs sung by J. Michael Finley were wonderful too.
In my opinion, the greatest musical moment in the movie...was the film version of the "I Can Only Imagine" song itself. Whenever I listened to another version outside of the original by Bart Millard, I'd often want to immediately turn it off out of distaste for it due to the melodies and singing lacking a sense of soul-filled awesomeness and passion. In this movie, though, there's a version of the song that actually manages to capture the spirit of the original while being something of it's own, which was truly an amazing thing to see. I loved it so much that I downloaded the song on my music app.
In conclusion, "I Can Only Imagine (2018)" is truly one of the best movies I ever saw. It tremendously honors the actual song by Bart Millard and the singer himself, and the people involved were clearly very passionate and having a great time working on this project. In a time where humanity's being plagued by an ever-growing spiritual hunger, this movie is perfect for those who seek a greater understanding about Jesus and why worshipping him is so wonderful.
So, I rate "I Can Only Imagine (2018)" a solid five out of five stars.
Before I conclude this post, I'd like to show you guys the newest paint-by-number I did:
Over three years ago, I did a paint-by-number just like this one. However, I became unhappy with how the other one came out due to noticing several errors, and much of the blame goes to me rushing myself into finishing it at the time. So, I eventually did another one, from November 2, 2021 to December 8, 2021.
So, what do you guys think? Of this review? And this painting?
One love the Painting and for the movie. Can't remember if I saw it but if you gave it a five than it must be good
I really love the painting you did! As fir the movie, I'll have to see it myself sometime.
Great movie and great painting! I always remember hearing the song whenever I was riding in the car with my parents as a child.
Nice painting! I haven't watched the movie yet, but it would be nice to do it in my free time.
I saw it when it came out. It was a good movie