I Can Only Imagine 2018

     This film is based on a true story.  MercyMe is the name of a band with the lead singer Bart Millard.  He wrote a very popular song titled I Can Only Imagine after he came to terms with his abusive father.  Bart had a difficult life growing up and he left home to get away from his father.  Bart’s mother had already moved away.  Both Bart and his mother had to put up with Arthur’s abuse and rage for a long time.  Arthur was just constantly a very angry man!!  Bart and his mother thought he would never try to change.  The only way to stomach Arthur was to get far away from him.  Bart is trying to make it as a singer with a band.  He meets Brickell and he starts to promote the band.  Bart thinks they are ready for the big time but Brickell tells him he’s not ready yet.  Bart knows he needs to return home and face Arthur or he’ll never be free from him and the memories of him.  He learns that things are not like he remembered them!!

     This film is good and the music is good too.  Dennis Quaid does a very good job as a very scary father and husband!!  The members of the MercyMe band are Bart Millard, Robby Shaffer, Nathan Cochran, Michael Scheuchzer and Barry Graul.  The band members came together in 1994 in Edmond, Oklahoma.  They released six independent albums before signing with INO Records in 2001.  The song I can Only Imagine elevated their debut album Almost There to triple Platinum Certification.  The song I can Only Image was awarded two GMA Dove Awards in 2002, 8 Dove Awards and many Grammy Award nominations.  3 ½* (I liked this movie)

110 min, Drama directed by Andrew and Jon Erwin with J. Michael Finley, Madeline Carroll, Dennis Quaid, Trace Adkins, Cloris Leachman, Jason Burkey, Mark Furze, Randy McDowell, Cole Marcus, Alexander Dominguez, Brody Rose, Taegen Burns, J.R. Cacia, Tanya Clarke, Nicole DuPort.

Note:  Imdb 7.4, 65% critic 92% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Amazon 4.9* out of 5* with 1486 reviews, Metacritic 30 out of 100 with 8 critics 8 out of 10 with 44 reviews, Plugged In 4.5* of 5*, IndieWire 1.5 of 5*.

Special Note:  Filmed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.  Dennis Quaid has twins, Thomas Boone Quaid and Zoe Grace Quaid and they are extras in a diner scene.  His daughter Zoe points to Quaid’s character when he collapses on the diner floor.  There is a picture Bart has of his dad.  It’s a real picture of Quaid in his #19 black jersey from the film Any Given Sunday.  This is the first movie role for J. Michael Finley.  The character Amy Grant is played by Nicole DuPort.  There is another film with the same title from 2005.