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I Still Believe Has Chemistry But No Conflict

The Coronavirus pandemic has caused a lot of reshuffling when it comes to movie releases. I Still Believe is one of the victims, with a two week run in theaters, then a quick shift to video-on-demand. It’s an interesting twist of fate for a faith-based film that had hoped for wide crossover appeal.

The film tells the true-life story of Christian singer Jeremy Camp’s (KJ Apa) relationship with wife Melissa (Britt Robertson), as well as her diagnosis with ovarian cancer. The film also showcases the beginnings of his musical career, with his musical mentor Jean-Luc Lajoie (Nathan Parsons) serving as part of the love triangle between Jeremy and Melissa.

I Still Believe is fine. It’s fine. It’s fine. Yeah, I think I’m having some of the same issues being critical about a movie that involves real-life people that the filmmakers faced when making it. I’m pretty sure all of the people involved are perfectly lovely and well-intentioned. But man did this movie lack interest and conflict. I mean one of the leads is dying of cancer and she never got more than slightly miffed.

There was some solid chemistry between Apa and Robertson, but the love triangle never provided any emotional payoff. There was a weird bit of storyline about keeping their relationship hidden so that they didn’t hurt Jean-Luc’s feelings. Needless to say, the love triangle was resolved with minimal muss and fuss.

There was a moment in the film where they mentioned that sometimes prayers are answered, sometimes they aren’t, and there is value in both experiences. Now this? This was interesting. They should have doubled down on this. Instead, it was mentioned in passing. Nothing gets explored too deeply. No one’s faith is tested too much. Everyone is just too darn sweet and perfect.

There’s a niceness to the film that I am sure will appeal to some. The movie is watchable, after all. It’s just not going to make you think too much after you turn it off. That’s a shame, since I imagine thinking about faith is the ultimate goal of the film. But hey, movies you can watch with your kids, parents, and grandparents without having to worry about the content are few and far between. Sure, it’s watchable and it doesn’t contain objectionable content is pretty faint praise, but that’s where we are. We’re well into a pandemic with minimal new things to watch, and I Still Believe isn’t your worst possible option.

I Still Believe is available now on Digital and Blu-ray.

About I Still Believe

From the creators of I Can Only Imagine comes the uplifting true-life story of Christian music megastar Jeremy Camp. This inspiring tale follows Jeremy’s search for his artistic voice, leading him to his wildest professional dreams, as well as the love of his life. But Jeremy’s hope and faith are put to the test when tragedy strikes. I Still Believe is an incredible story of musical stardom, the heights of love, the depths of loss, and the healing power of the human spirit. Starring KJ Apa, Britt Robertson, Shania Twain, and Gary Sinise.

As The Bunny Hops®