Movie Review: “I Can Only Imagine” is well-intentioned but routine

Movie Review: “I Can Only Imagine” (PG)

It’s difficult to be hard on a film like “I Can Only Imagine” because it’s just so gosh darn well-intentioned. That said, this mostly soft, spiritually rousing biopic will be of particular interest to audiences with a fondness for Christian cinema. It’ll be of even more interest to fans of the Christian band MercyMe.

This music-tinged drama traces the life of Bart Millard (J. Michael Finley), a man whose turbulent relationship with his abusive father (Dennis Quaid) would ultimately lead him to write a hugely popular Christian ballad called “I Can Only Imagine.” From his youth as a music-obsessed kid in the mid-’80s to his teen years as a football-player-turned-musical-performer to his adult years as a musician navigating through the tricky terrain that is the music industry, “I Can Only Imagine” hits all the prerequisite beats of the quintessential musician biopic.

As expected, “I Can Only Imagine” is also a story about redemption and forgiveness, and it wears its heart unabashedly on its sleeve. The thing is, though, this movie is also routine and formulaic, and it is often done in by moments that could easily be packaged and sold as Cheez Whiz. Further still, while the fanboy in me enjoyed dialogue odes to the likes of “The Empire Strikes Back,” “Return of the Jedi,” and “Terminator 2,” I can’t resist pointing out that references to “Jaws 3D” (1983) and U2’s “The Joshua Tree” (1987) felt weirdly out of place because the earlier portions of this movie take place in 1985. Nitpicking, I know, but I couldn’t help myself.

Again, there’s no doubt that “I Can Only Imagine” has its heart in the right place, and there are certainly moments in the picture that benefit from themes of honor and a sheer lack of cynicism. Look no further than Millard’s dealings with Christian recording artist superstar Amy Grant.

“I Can Only Imagine” was directed by Andrew and Jon Erwin, the sibling team behind 2011’s abortion-themed “October Baby,” and while this picture hits all the beats you’d expect, it does feel oddly truncated. In other words, there’s a lot going on here, and not everything feels entirely developed.

Thankfully, the performances do elevate the proceedings a bit. Newcomer Finley proves to be a nice find. Parts of his turn here reminded me of Sean Astin in “Rudy.” This isn’t Shakespeare by any stretch of the imagination, but Finley brings energy and heart to the table, and he’s a heck of a lot more engaging than Alex Roe was in the similarly themed “Forever My Girl.” Veteran Quaid is given the task of playing a sympathetic monster in the first half of the picture and a man hoping to do right by his son in the second half. For the most part, Quaid pulls it off, even though there are stretches when he can’t quite rise above the heavy-handed nature of the writing. In the end, though, it’s always a joy seeing this wonderful actor on screen, even when he’s playing a character that isn’t always the nicest of human beings.

Beyond Finley and Quaid, “I Can Only Imagine” is sprinkled with a handful of solid supporting players, including Cloris Leachman, Brody Rose, Madeline Carroll, and Nicole DuPort. Of the supporting cast, it’s country music legend Trace Adkins who appears to be having the most fun as Brickell, a grizzled, wisdom-spouting music-industry pro who sees great potential in Millard.

“I Can Only Imagine” is doing extremely well at the box office, and while it’s far from perfect, it’s easy to see why many audiences are responding to it. Some folks simply want to be moved, inspired, and enlightened, and there’s certainly nothing wrong with that, especially in today’s turbulent, cynical world. For me personally, though, this picture is a little too precious. That said, if you’re looking for a family-appropriate movie with noble themes and you’ve already watched “The Greatest Showman” ten times, you could definitely do worse than “I Can Only Imagine.”

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