I Can Only Imagine

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I Can Only Imagine

PG

2018

1h 50m

Biography

Drama

Music

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

69%

Tomatometer

32 Reviews

91%

Popcornmeter

2,500+ Ratings

Growing up in Greenville, Texas, Bart Millard suffers physical and emotional abuse at the hands of his father, Arthur. When Arthur becomes terminally ill, he finds redemption by embracing his faith and rediscovering his love for his son. Years later, Bart's troubled childhood and mended relationship with his dad inspires him to write the hit song I Can Only Imagine as singer of the Christian band MercyMe.

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Critics Consensus

I Can Only Imagine's message will have the most impact among Christian audiences, but overall, its performances and storytelling represent a notable evolution in faith-based cinema.

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Leslie Felperin

Guardian

08/08/2018

2/5

[A] slickly assembled tale of redemption and reconciliation.

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David Ehrlich

IndieWire

03/21/2018

C-

Art can be affirmation, but affirmation cannot be art.

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Peter Debruge

Variety

03/18/2018

The movie works for the same reason the song does: It lightens the burden of the pain people are shouldering today, and gives them something to look forward to.

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Hosea Rupprecht

Pauline Media Studies

08/24/2021

Fortunately, this trend in faith-based filmmaking seems to be shifting to a more real, lived faith. I Can Only Imagine is a good example of this shift...

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

08/10/2021

2.5/4

An inspirational drama that, unlike most faith-based endeavors, at least looks like a real movie rather than something even Ed Wood would have rejected.

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Richard Propes

TheIndependentCritic.com

09/11/2020

3.5/4.0

This is exactly what a faith-based film should be.

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Mario

02/19/2025

We need more spiritual movies at the theaters. Loved it.

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Russell A

@Rallen117 2d

Honestly I don’t get the whole deal about his dad supposedly being the bad guy. I mean he was mean but I wish my step dad was half as nice to me and he was to Bart. It really wasn’t that bad. BART cause a lot of the issues with his dad and his girlfriend. It is a good movie otherwise though.

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Jude M.

@RT74733850 Mar 18

A heartfelt and emotional story with a strong message. The performances feel real, and the music adds to the impact. A moving film about faith, forgiveness, and redemption.

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Jackie T

@RT81183974 Mar 17

I'm not one to gush over a movie but I watched this film at a pivotal time in my life when my son had been killed. I was struggling with God, life, the past, and the future. The message of forgiveness changed my life. If you are looking for answers and are open to messages from unexpected places and in unexpected ways, this film might connect with something or someone in your life who deserves a chance at forgiveness. Even yourself. We are all human. We all make mistakes. Realizing that our past generations were "winging it" too allowed me to process much needed information. I know I don't represent the masses in my life experiences but I do when it comes to simply being a human who makes mistakes.

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Mitchell S

@Mitchstur Feb 24

Beautiful, uplifting, and an incredible real-life example of how God can change us! This is the gold standard for Faith movies!!

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Logan S

@Spider2003 Feb 23

I Can Only Imagine (2018) the Christian bio film based on the song of the same name it was so good, and I absolutely loved it. Amazing cast story and song. I highly highly recommend it 5 out of 5 stars. I first heard the song in a Time Life Plantinum cd Qubo commercial when I was 5 or 6 years old it's still a favorite of mine 17 years later can't wait for the sequel coming out on February 20th 2026 such a wonderful movie and song about forgiveness and redemption no wonder it still gets 147 million views on YouTube and is still the most popular Christian song of all time Highly recommend giving it a watch and see what you think of it. 9 out of 10. The score is also amazing too. It's a truly touching moving and powerful story about forgiveness and redemption. And shows how God can change the lives of someone we hate and want nothing to do with into someone we love and want to be with for the rest of our lives. It will make you laugh and cry and applaud all at once.

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Andrew Erwin

Director

Jon Erwin

Director

John Michael Finley

Bart

Madeline Carroll

Shannon

Dennis Quaid

Arthur

Trace Adkins

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I Can Only Imagine: Trailer 2

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I Can Only Imagine: Trailer 1

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I Can Only Imagine: Teaser Trailer 1

1:56

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Synopsis

Growing up in Greenville, Texas, Bart Millard suffers physical and emotional abuse at the hands of his father, Arthur. When Arthur becomes terminally ill, he finds redemption by embracing his faith and rediscovering his love for his son. Years later, Bart's troubled childhood and mended relationship with his dad inspires him to write the hit song I Can Only Imagine as singer of the Christian band MercyMe.

Director: Andrew Erwin, Jon Erwin
Producer: Kevin Downes, Cindy Bond, Daryl C. Lefever, Mickey Liddell, Pete Shilaimon
Screenwriter: Jon Erwin, Brent McCorkle
Distributor: Roadside Attractions, Lionsgate Films
Production Co: Kevin Downes, Mission Pictures International, City on a Hill Productions
Rating: PG (Thematic Elements|Some Violence)
Genre: Biography, Drama, Music
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 16, 2018, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 5, 2018
Box Office (Gross USA): $83.5M
Runtime: 1h 50m
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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