Review of I Can Only Imagine (2018) by Brent R — 29 Mar 2018

If he can forgive and be at peace with his dad, so can I.

Summary on top: It won't win any artistic awards, but this movie came to me at a crucial time in my life and I thank God for it!

My father passed away Feb. 1. When he suddenly, surprisingly turned "down hill" my sister texted me and said, "you better pack." I drove through the night, coffee in hand and comforting music in the air, wondering if I would make there in time. Every "mile stone" on that road seemed to evoke memories, some good, some bad--and a few that were ugly.

I got there at 5:30 am local time, went straight into ICU, hugged my mom and my sister. I talked with her for a minute (she is a nurse, so I got the straight dope). Then I turned to dad. He was unconscious and looked like he was teetering on the very edge. But at least he looked comfortable. I spoke to him, put my hand on his forehead, I told him I love him. But I knew that realistically he was gone.

Later, I took my mom to their home; she was exhausted. She went into their bedroom to cry herself to sleep and I lay on the guest bed. But I couldn't relax. I fell into a kind of nap like state as I imagined my Dad in front of Jesus. He put his arms around my Dad (in my imagination) and hugged him, and said, "you're here. Your journey is done.." And He heeled my dad of all his scars, all of his pain, all of his hurt and guilt. And He heeled all of those broken relationships my dad had with those who went before him. It was a vivid scene in my imagination, but I knew it was true. It was biblical and therefore true.

I got up from that bed and was at full peace with my Dad, for I know that if he could he would pour out all the love he could to reconcile and ask for forgiveness, and restore, everyone that he hurt. And I knew that he would forgive me too, for all that I did, or didn't do, in our relationship.

Enter "I Can Only Imagine.".

I hope to get into filmmaking myself some day, so I try to be a student of the art. I love well crafted movies for the artistic works that they are. For, as they say, "a story, told well, will change the world." And yet, in the end, "Content reigns supreme.".

Those two statements can often be at odds with each other. I have watched many a powerful, well told story--but the message was not good! I have also seen several movies where the message was truth and life--and yet the craftsmanship of the story was sorely lacking.

I feel that this movie is somewhere in the middle. Wonderful scenes like, fixing the Jeep and many more. Yet (and I'm no screenwriter, but...) the story arch was lacking, a little unfocused.

HOWEVER.... content rules. That is, if you are in need of Truth and inspiration and peace (in my case, especially peace).

I cried so hard during the funeral that it got embarrassing. But I let it go anyway. I let it all out-and I mean ALL out. For the first time since my dad died, I actually opened the gates and mourned, and felt horribly sad. And yet very much at peace. I thought, wow, what was cathartic. I thought that was all I needed.

Then came the song at the end.

I just closed my eyes and wept all over again, holding tight to my wife's hand (she understood and it was very comforting to have her there). I opened my eyes in time to see the ending of that scene and started crying yet again.

So, I will say it again: this movie won't win any artistic awards, but I found it to be effective story telling of a very powerful truth about forgiveness and restitution.

PS: Don't overlook the "Jeep" scenes! wow. touching and I felt that the repairing scene had just the right balance of subtleness while showing us what's going on inside both of their hearts. "Dad" talks about restoring the Jeep, but we all know who the scene is really about.--dad's restoration.