Starring : Britt Robertson, K.J. Apa, Melissa Roxburgh
Written by Jon Erwin, Jon Gunn, Directed by Andrew Erwin, Jon Erwin
There are a lot of people out there that don’t live at a movie theater like me and that’s fine because it’s easier for me to get the seats I like that way. For me it’s always been about the stories and how a movie can make me feel, but even for someone who sees a few movies here and there, you can bet they have a few that have made them feel something. That is the power of storytelling and the main reason why I try and not limit myself to certain movies, because I never know where I might get that next jolt.
Hearing about I Still Believe I knew that is was based on a true story about a singer and an event in his life, which was enough for me to want to see it. It’s the story of Jeremy Camp (K.J. Apa) a boy from Indiana who is about to go to school in beautiful San Diego, talk about a soon to be culture shock. He leaves home with a bag and a guitar that his father (Gary Sinise) gave to him, because in his words, magic happens when he plays it. Once at school he doesn’t waste time experiencing college life and goes to a concert with the worst security as he is able to get backstage where he strikes up a conversation with the singer set to perform. It is backstage that he sees her for the first time, a girl named Melissa (Britt Robertson) who he is instantly taken with. It doesn’t take long for her to feel the same and while Jeremy’s music career starts to take off, Melissa gets some news that will test both of their faith. Their love though is real and Jeremy puts his life on hold to face the challenge that lay before Melissa, so that they can face it together.
Since I was born with a normal heart and not one that is made of stone, movies like this have always gotten to me. I guess what I am trying to tell you is that having tissues wouldn’t be a bad thing when it comes to watching I Still Believe. The story, which is based on Camp’s real life pulls the heart strings but it also will test your patience as you can feel the length of the movie. This script written by Jon Erwin and Jon Gunn has its peak and valleys, but while you are in the valleys you start to realize that they are filled with things you may not have needed. The other things that you feel is the story’s message which is not delivered with a whisper, but with a hammer to make you know what it’s trying to say. The film had enough without that, but pushing it hurts more than it helps. I liked what it was trying t say and the music by Camp is good, but I just didn’t need to be preached on what to feel which is often here. This film though will hit the right cord with some, but for me it was just too much out of tune to fully enjoy.
