Believe it or not, the film I Still Believe from Lionsgate is ostensibly the true-life story of Christian music star Jeremy Camp. But, this allegedly “inspiring” love story from the directors of the similarly-themed I Can Only Imagine (2018) is pretty much a copy of their earlier film and that’s about the loftiest praise you can bestow upon it.
Camp is played by J.J. Apa (Archie from television’s Riverdale [2017—]), and he is perfectly likable in his role as Camp, but the character is allowed no character growth throughout the film. He starts a devout Christian singer-songwriter and ends as such. Furthermore, he faces no real crisis in that his faith is never really tested. Sure, bad things happen in his life, but he’s steadfast in his response to them and never waivers from his path. While this is becoming of characters in a film like this, it doesn’t afford any classic character arc. In short, Jeremy is who he is and that all that he is. While Melissa (Britt Robertson) gets to do the heavy-lifting in the emotional category here, she too has little to do other than fall for Jeremy and then get sick and wax philosophically about how it’s all part of a larger plan and so on.
All of this would be fine if I Still Believe somehow managed to make Jeremy’s journey a test or trial of sort, something that the audience could be happy he emerged from unscathed and having found true love with Melissa in the first place. As it stands, he moves on with his life after her illness and credits his faith, Melissa’s faith, his new wife’s faith, etc. It’s as though no one learned anything from the ordeal they just endured. In fact, the only character that offers anything interesting throughout is Jeremy’s father (played by Gary Sinise) when he sums up his son’s relationship with Melissa for him in an effort to comfort Jeremy. It’s one of the most heartfelt moments in the film
Perhaps I am not the audience that a film like I Still Believe is trying to connect with, I can admit that. But, whereas I’m willing to accept that a person’s religious beliefs may steer their actions and lives in a certain direction, that doesn’t mean in makes for a solid narrative through line.
Mike Tyrkus
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