I Can Only Imagine Causes Leaky Eyes. And, A Renewed Zest For Amy Grant.

Cutting directly to the chase, go see I Can Only Imagine tonight. It won’t be in theaters for long, don’t miss your chance.

Recently, my wife and I saw two movies. The first was an action movie. I watched the coming attractions with something akin to trepidation. Not only didn’t I enjoy the broad-stroke outlines of the plots, but I kept thinking “Man, they’re just degrading people in this movie.” It wasn’t just one preview that made me feel that way, it was all but one. Yes, I wanted to see exactly one of the movies they touted, and my interest in that is marginal.

The second movie we saw was I Can Only Imagine. The previews for that movie left me feeling uplifted. I wanted to see each of them to some degree. What did they have in common? They had characters who were trying to fix themselves or others. Just like life is in an ideal world. Not the dark, abusive, lonely set of violent previews I’d seen for the other movie – and I like dark and violent in my movies. But I mean spiritually dark. And there’s more than enough of that in life. If the trailers make you feel better, the movie has to be great. It was.

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So, watch the trailer for I Can Only Imagine and then I’ll babble.

I think that preview probably gave you a bit of the flavor. If you’re not a fan of Christian music, you probably still heard the song many times on popular radio/country stations. The band, Mercy Me, is huge. I can vouch for the uplifting music, and I’m confident in saying that the movie is every bit as wonderful as the trailer makes it seem.

Now, the question is: is it a good movie, or a good “Christian Movie?” That’s a valid question. A lot of movies are sold to the Christian market based on their faith value, not their production value. Fear not – this is a great flick. It has timeless value in good writing, great photography, a plot (real life has those as well) and a bunch off actors from the top of the craft. So put aside your “I don’t want to be converted” mindset and go see a good movie. (Which, begs the question: what’s so wrong about being converted?)

Amy Grant. I mentioned her in the title to this post, and it’s only fair to say that she plays an important role in this movie, just as she has in Bart Millard’s life. She has played an important role in my life as well: she’s my muse. Yes, every author has some go-to thing that helps them write. Amy’s album The Collection does that for me. If I’m writing, that’s what’s on the headphones.

It soothes, it inspires, and I know all the words, so my brain can focus on my words. I always knew I’d like her in person, but having seen the movie I am sure that she’s every bit of what I’ve built her up to in my mind. Wow. A great woman.

Thus, I encourage you to go see I Can Only Imagine today. Shoo. Go. Now.

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