I Can Only Imagine 2

PG • Theaters

Eight years ago, I Can Only Imagine smashed the box office—as far as faith films go—grossing almost twelve times its $7 million budget in the US. The Erwin brothers’ film told the true story of Bart Millard, the MercyMe lead singer who wrote one of most popular CCM songs of all time, “I Can Only Imagine.” The Dove Award–winning hit crossed over onto the secular-music pop charts, too, where it made strong showings in 2003.

What do you do for a follow-up? That’s the question Bart (played again by John Michael Finley) struggles to answer for himself in I Can Only Imagine 2—and it’s not hard to imagine the new film’s directors, Andrew Erwin and returning screenwriter Brent McCorkle, also looking back at their success and pondering how to build on it. But while songwriters can’t get away with “Beat It 2” or “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough 5,” filmmakers have a greater license—from studios and audiences—to rework their old magic.

I Can Only Imagine 2 draws on what made the first film compelling: a focus on a troubled father-son relationship—and, of course, the music. The sequel interweaves three plotlines: Bart’s difficulties staying connected to his wife and kids while on the road, new opening act Tim Timmons (Milo Ventimiglia) joining the MercyMe tour bus while keeping a significant secret, and songwriter’s block plaguing both Bart and Tim. (Ventimiglia communicates Tim’s famed sense of humor quite well.) Like other successful Christian artists (so I’m told), Bart and Tim are striving to balance business and Bible. Praise and profit make strange bandfellows, some might say, but Scripture doesn’t forbid earning a legitimate paycheck from honest ministry.

It’s hard to nail down which of the three storylines is the most prominent. Films often suffer reviewers’ snipes for trying to do too much, but sometimes a narrow focus doesn’t do justice to how complicated life gets. And where some see extraneous dramatics (such as a string of serious health crises), such things do and did happen to real people.

The music. Three songs play important roles in the film: Horatio Spafford’s most famous hymn, a U2 song based on a psalm (“how long” will it take you to figure that one out?), and a Millard-Timmons collaboration that would become another MercyMe hit. With strong acting, many relatable characters, and tunes from and for all ages, you’ll enjoy how the whole crew got back to work.