I Can Only Imagine

Unrated

3/16/20181h 50m

Theatrical (limited) Release (US)

~ The song you know. The story you don't. ~

Overview:

Growing up in Greenville, Texas, Bart Millard suffers physical and emotional abuse at the hands of his father, Arthur. When Arthur becomes terminally ill, he finds redemption by embracing his faith and rediscovering his love for his son. Years later, Bart's troubled childhood and mended relationship with his dad inspires him to write the hit song "I Can Only Imagine" as singer of the Christian band MercyMe.

Director:

Jon Erwin

Status:

Released

Language:

English

Buget:

$7,000,000.00

Revenue:

$86,086,881.00

Key words:

musician
texas
abusive father
redemption
based on true story
singer-songwriter
father son relationship
christian film
christian faith
independent film
cliché
contemporary christian music
biographical drama

Cast

J. Michael Finley

~ as ~

Bart Millard

Dennis Quaid

~ as ~

Arthur

Cloris Leachman

~ as ~

Memaw

Brody Rose

~ as ~

Young Bart

Madeline Carroll

~ as ~

Shannon

Gianna Simone

~ as ~

Dr. Avondale

Kevin Downes

~ as ~

Singleton

Jason Burkey

~ as ~

Mike

Rhoda Griffis

~ as ~

Jen

Tanya Clarke

~ as ~

Adele

View full cast & crew

Reviews (3)

There-Can-Be-Only-One
Written 7 year(s) ago
9
*Disclaimer: This isn't any sort of "official" review. This is just one ordinary movie-goer's opinion...

Lovely movie. 😊

I honestly wasn't expecting much, but I wanted to support MercyMe, and I always like to throw my support whenever a movie theater plays a good, clean movie like this one.

I was actually quite amazed by the production. It had the look of a big budget film (I have no idea how much the budget was), and was lacking the cheese element prevalent in so many Christian movies. It was remarkably well cast, and I was particularly impressed by both guys who played Bart - the 11 year old Bart (Brody Rose), and the teenage/20something Bart (J Michael Finley). I also LOVED Trace Adkins as Brickell.

I took my non-believer friend to it, because he likes MercyMe, and has enjoyed Bart's testimonies whenever I've taken him to a concert, and he liked the movie as well. He even teared up, and he is NOT an emotional guy! I cried too, but I'm an emotional girl! 😉

I definitely recommend it. I'm not a person who enjoys going to the movie theater, and usually will only go in special circumstances. I think mainstream America playing a Christian movie in the theater is a special circumstance, and if you want to see more of this happening, I hope you'll go support it.
SF
Simon Foster
Written 7 year(s) ago
~~
"Though it will never be championed as an insightful work of either religious art or patriarchal psychology, I Can Only Imagine does manage to be a good film about a great song..."

Read the full review here: http://screen-space.squarespace.com/reviews/2018/3/23/i-can-only-imagine.html
Wuchak
Written 6 year(s) ago
6
The story behind the popular Christian band

Released in 2018, “I Can Only Imagine” is a biopic of Bart Millard (J. Michael Finley) of MercyMe, spanning his childhood, the abuse of his father (Dennis Quaid), meeting his true love (Madeline Carroll), starting the band, low-rent touring, acquiring a manager (Trace Adkins) and eventual success with the band’s titular hit.

While this semi-modest inspirational flick is nowhere near as good as “Coal Miner’s Daughter” (1980) or even “La Bamba” (1987), it’s almost on par with the Johnny Cash biopic “Walk the Line” (2005), although it cost five times LESS and lacks the polish. Finley is an otherwise unknown actor, but he makes for a fine protagonist. And Carroll is winsome and curvy; unfortunately, her part is small.

It’s too by-the-numbers, but I could relate to the father/son issues and the story builds to an inspiring and emotional performance of their hit song.

The film runs 1 hour, 50 minutes and was shot entirely in Oklahoma.

GRADE: B-/C+