I Can Only Imagine (2018)

“Dreams don’t pay the bills. Nothing good comes from them. All it does is keeping you from knowing what is real.” – Arthur

Number of Times Seen – 1 (3 Sep 2020)

Brief Synopsis – Based on the true story of a Religious gospel singer and his quest to find his voice as a songwriter and as an inspiration to others.

My Take on it – This is a film that tells a true story that is quite impressive to watch unfold.

Being a story about using religion in order to heal one’s mind and soul, there are some preachy scenes that take things a bit too far, yet there are other scenes that are truly inspirational as they present the message which stays grounded through most of the story.

The choice to show the kind of abuse that this character received from his father during his childhood works really well because it allows us to get a better understanding of how much of a healing process her really needs in order to deal with his own anger issues about his past.

They are able to show how a person must resolve their own issues before moving forward in life.

The film has a most unrecognizable cast but the father is played by Dennis Quaid really well and shows his acting diversity.

The music of this film is great to listen to and can actually be quite inspirational in certain parts along the way.

Bottom Line – Quite an interesting story that works really well. There are a few scenes that feel a bit too preachy, but overall the message and story manage to stay grounded. The choice to show the abuse that he received as a child and as a teen from his father works well in establishing his own personal anger issues while also showing how one needs to overcome their own issues from the past before moving forward to the future. The cast is mostly unrecognizable, yet Quaid does a great job playing the father. Great music that can be so inspirational. Recommended!

MovieRob’s Favorite Trivia – During the opening scene set in 1985, young Bart is riding his bike through town. He passes a movie theater showing the titles of Jaws 3-D (1983) and The Goonies (1985) on the marquee. Dennis Quaid, who plays Bart’s father Arthur, played the lead role of Mike Brody in Jaws 3-D in 1983. (From IMDB)

Rating – Globe Worthy (7/10)