CP’s top 10 entertainment articles of 2018
In 2018, the film "I Can Only Imagine" brought in $17.1 million domestically during its opening weekend, and over $83 million total, superseding expectations. The film is the "true story that follows the life of Bart Millard, lead singer of the Christian band MercyMe, whose father died of cancer and inspired him to write the hit song, 'I Can Only Imagine.'
“The story beautifully illustrates that nobody is ever too far from God's love — or too far from an eternal home in Heaven," the movie's synopsis states.
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Millard once described his father as a monster because of the harsh physical and verbal abuse he endured as a child. His mother left a young Millard behind with his father out of fear for her own life. However, the film is a story of redemption as his father would go on to become Millard's biggest hero before dying, and his relationship with his mother has also been restored.
When asked by a CP reporter this year what his mother's reaction was to the emotional film, the Texas native admitted that it was better than he thought it would be.
"My mom is a very huge part of my life now and when I was watching the movie I was really scared because I didn't really realize how much of a victim she really was. She feared for her life and she had to get out," he told CP.
Millard explained that the first draft of the script was a bit harsh concerning his mother because when he initially spoke about what happened in his childhood he shared it from the point of view of a third-grader. He did go back and make some revisions to the story considering her battle and although it's still difficult for him to watch, he felt the narrative was more accurate.
"I was nervous. I thought, 'This is gonna kill my mom when she sees this.' It was hard to let go and actually let the story play out," the 45-year-old revealed.
Millard said he sat with his mom alone and watched the film as they both had tears in their eyes.
"She just kept saying, 'Yeah, that's how it happened, that's right,'" Millard illustrated. "She actually loved the movie. She told me, 'I'm heartbroken that I wasn't a bigger part of it, but that's what happened. I was so scared for my life and I'm so glad that we have each other now.'"
Millard's mother also reconnected with his father after he changed and the two had a great friendship before his death.
