Breakthrough (B- or 2.5/4 stars)
'Breakthrough' (directed by Roxann Dawson) is a faith-based, based on a true story drama in which 14 yr. old John Smith fell through the ice in Lake St. Louis, was the last pulled out (after 15 min. underwater), & didn't respond to nearly 45 min. of CPR ... but somehow lived. It's a story of unwavering faith, the power of prayer, & the enigma of miracles. At the start of the film, John (Marcel Ruiz) is your typical teen {student at a Christian private school, has a crush on classmate, is star of the school's basketball team}, but has developed an attitude toward the adults in his life; primarily because, as an adopted child, he's starting to struggle with his identity. While his father, Brian (Josh Lucas) thinks it's just a phase, his mom, Joyce (Chrissy Metz, of This Is Us fame) is more disappointed & concerned.
Devout Joyce is having struggles of her own; particularly with the church's new, hip Pastor Noble (Topher Grace) who's from California & includes a rapper to perform a song during their church service, much to her disdain. Before long, the terrifying falling-through-the-ice incident occurs and, it's a lengthy, intense sequence where first responders try their damnedest to locate, revive & save the 14 yr. old. Among those first responders is an atheist firefighter (Mike Colter) who, when looking for the submerged boy, hears 'someone' tell him to go back to a particular spot in the icy water, & then finds him. That is followed by great resuscitation efforts both there & at the hospital where the ER doctor (Sam Trammell) tries his very best to save John before finally throwing in the towel.
But mama Joyce won't give up on John's lifeless body & refuses to give up; loudly praying & sobbing to God & the Holy Spirit to give life back to her son. And just like that, a pulse is heard & he is airlifted to a children's hospital under the guidance of a world-renowned specialist (Dennis Haysbert). He doesn't expect John to survive through the night and, even if he does, he'll have suffered irreversible brain & organ damage. Undeterred, Joyce struggles with own health {making it harder for her to help her family}, but keeps the faith, and even acquiesces to the genuine concern exhibited by Pastor Noble. As the hours tick by, and with Brian unable to look at his son that way, it's up to Joyce, Pastor Noble, & the community of school & church-goers to keep the faith & hope for a miracle of epic proportions.
I am spiritual. However, it's almost impossible to be sure that prayers result in divine intervention. Why don't they work all of the time? Thousands of people die every day despite the prayers of loved ones, religious officials & even strangers. Why would God allow - let's say - young afflicted children to die, even when so many people might be praying incessantly? The answer that is always given is that God "works in mysterious ways"; all part of some master plan. That may be, or it may not be. The question of "why him & not my loved one" is touched upon in 'Breakthrough', but like other answers, it is all left hanging in the air. But I digress.
How good is this latest faith-based drama to be released by the Disney-owned Fox division that produces Christian films? Well, the overwhelming emotion of this true story moved me; overwhelming my critical assessment that it is an extremely Hollywood-ized depiction of true events. As is the case with most of these types of films ... it is like a Hallmark TV movie with better-than-average acting on tap. The script is straightforward, underdeveloped & simplistic. i.e., the doctors do little more than grimly deliver bad news, & we learn nothing of import about the interesting atheist firefighter. The cinematography is flat, save for some beautiful moments that capture the quiet terror of the frozen lake accident. And the editing provides a smooth, if somewhat too-lengthy 2 hour running time.
The performances elevate the standard direction/script. These characters all have their issues: Joyce is prickly; John has an attitude problem; Brian can appear weak; & Pastor Noble 'comes across' as flaky {this is a good thing, these people aren't saints}. Chrissy Metz impressed me most as the mom whose son is hanging on by a thread. Every tear, every moment of anguish felt authentic. You'd have to be truly cold-hearted to not be affected by this film, AS IS. But I understand critics who find the storytelling overly familiar and/or skimp on legitimate questions concerning science, miracles & faith. Those who believe in the power of prayer/miracles will only have their faith solidified. Those who don't may feel left-out; contributing to the problems inherent in this recent wave of Christian-based entertainment. Overall, though there's nothing spectacular about it and while we may not all agree on why John recovers, 'Breakthrough' hits the right emotional beats.
Devout Joyce is having struggles of her own; particularly with the church's new, hip Pastor Noble (Topher Grace) who's from California & includes a rapper to perform a song during their church service, much to her disdain. Before long, the terrifying falling-through-the-ice incident occurs and, it's a lengthy, intense sequence where first responders try their damnedest to locate, revive & save the 14 yr. old. Among those first responders is an atheist firefighter (Mike Colter) who, when looking for the submerged boy, hears 'someone' tell him to go back to a particular spot in the icy water, & then finds him. That is followed by great resuscitation efforts both there & at the hospital where the ER doctor (Sam Trammell) tries his very best to save John before finally throwing in the towel.
But mama Joyce won't give up on John's lifeless body & refuses to give up; loudly praying & sobbing to God & the Holy Spirit to give life back to her son. And just like that, a pulse is heard & he is airlifted to a children's hospital under the guidance of a world-renowned specialist (Dennis Haysbert). He doesn't expect John to survive through the night and, even if he does, he'll have suffered irreversible brain & organ damage. Undeterred, Joyce struggles with own health {making it harder for her to help her family}, but keeps the faith, and even acquiesces to the genuine concern exhibited by Pastor Noble. As the hours tick by, and with Brian unable to look at his son that way, it's up to Joyce, Pastor Noble, & the community of school & church-goers to keep the faith & hope for a miracle of epic proportions.
I am spiritual. However, it's almost impossible to be sure that prayers result in divine intervention. Why don't they work all of the time? Thousands of people die every day despite the prayers of loved ones, religious officials & even strangers. Why would God allow - let's say - young afflicted children to die, even when so many people might be praying incessantly? The answer that is always given is that God "works in mysterious ways"; all part of some master plan. That may be, or it may not be. The question of "why him & not my loved one" is touched upon in 'Breakthrough', but like other answers, it is all left hanging in the air. But I digress.
How good is this latest faith-based drama to be released by the Disney-owned Fox division that produces Christian films? Well, the overwhelming emotion of this true story moved me; overwhelming my critical assessment that it is an extremely Hollywood-ized depiction of true events. As is the case with most of these types of films ... it is like a Hallmark TV movie with better-than-average acting on tap. The script is straightforward, underdeveloped & simplistic. i.e., the doctors do little more than grimly deliver bad news, & we learn nothing of import about the interesting atheist firefighter. The cinematography is flat, save for some beautiful moments that capture the quiet terror of the frozen lake accident. And the editing provides a smooth, if somewhat too-lengthy 2 hour running time.
The performances elevate the standard direction/script. These characters all have their issues: Joyce is prickly; John has an attitude problem; Brian can appear weak; & Pastor Noble 'comes across' as flaky {this is a good thing, these people aren't saints}. Chrissy Metz impressed me most as the mom whose son is hanging on by a thread. Every tear, every moment of anguish felt authentic. You'd have to be truly cold-hearted to not be affected by this film, AS IS. But I understand critics who find the storytelling overly familiar and/or skimp on legitimate questions concerning science, miracles & faith. Those who believe in the power of prayer/miracles will only have their faith solidified. Those who don't may feel left-out; contributing to the problems inherent in this recent wave of Christian-based entertainment. Overall, though there's nothing spectacular about it and while we may not all agree on why John recovers, 'Breakthrough' hits the right emotional beats.