After the breakout success of "I Can Only Imagine", lead singer Bart Millard (John Michael Finley) is living the dream--sold-out arenas, a devoted fanbase, and a thriving career. But Bart's world begins to shift under the weight of devastating challenges, including a life-changing diagnosis of type one diabetes for his young son, Sam (Sammy Dell). As Bart struggles to hold his family together, his wife Shannon (Sophie Skelton) becomes the steady anchor--caring for Sam, supporting Bart, and holding on to hope when it feels far away. When Sam and newcomer Tim Timmons (Milo Ventimiglia) join the band for their biggest tour yet, Bart must navigate the demands of fatherhood and the pressures of fame, all while helping his son find the courage to sing his own song.
Others to round out the cast are Arielle Kebbel as Hilary Timmons, Tim's wife, Dennis Quaid as Arthur, Bart's dad, Trace Adkins as Scott 'Brick' Brickell, Jason Burkey as Mike, Randy McDowell as Jim, Mark Furze as Nathan, Nicole DuPort as Amy Grant and Anjelah Johnson-Reyes as Dr. Ramirez.
This was powerfully directed with heart and conviction by Andrew Irwin ("The Cross and the Towers" '06, "Alumni" (TV movie) '09, "October Baby" '11, "Mom's Night Out" '14, "Woodlawn" '15, "I Can Only Imagine" '18, "I Still Believe" '20, "American Underdog" '21, "The Jesus Music" '21) plus TV, videos and a music video, and Brent McCorkle ("Unconditional" '12, "Jesus Revolution" '23) plus TV and a short. Since the original was directed by Andrew Irwin and his brother Jon, it definitely helps that this sequel was directed by one of them lest the same feel of characters might not match well. What does keep this fresher is that it did introduce some new characters i.e. Ventmiglia (Tim) and Dell (Sam) which kept it more captivating. This was paced and staged well, as was what they were attempting to convey to their audience which was empathy and conviction. It was written with humbleness and redemption by Brent McCorkle ("Unconditional" '12, "I Can Only Imagine" '18) plus a short. This was basically a continuation of where "I Can Only Imagine" left off. This script was written in a tight, cohesive and heartwarming way--going from success to tragedy, from tragedy to humbleness, from humbleness to redemption which is something that Christians do go through to live the life that God wants them to lead. This was written unapologetically showing that being a Christian can be difficult, however the reward of God's grace always awaits. Considering this involves the Irwin Brothers and McCorkle--kings of the inspirational/Christian type films, it's no wonder why this was as effective as it was.
If this genre is something of your liking, this is the film for you. This film is for all to see--not just Christians. Everyone will receive something from this movie considering all have issues and all need God in their life (whether they realize this or not). It pulls the heartstrings without being maudlin and sentimental like some of these films can be. And it's a captivating closure to its original story.
Out of 4 Stars: 4 Rated: PG 111mins.
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