I Can Only Imagine - Movie Review

Greetings,

I sometimes have trouble with movies that have a built in audience, where people will see certain types of films no matter what. I think it can, on occasion, make some filmmakers not try as hard as they could. Sadly, I also think that faith films, as they are called, at times, can fall into this category. Some of them, but certainly not all of them. And certainly not the one I'm talking about today, I Can Only Imagine.

I Can Only Imagine is a 2018 film that tells the story of a man named Bart Millard and also the story of a song he wrote which became something of a phenomenon. The same song that shares the title of the movie. So, it is a biopic of a person as well as a piece of music. And something I like about it is that it's obviously about music, but it also doesn't shy away from discussing some difficult things.

We see that Bart did not grow up living an easy life. His mother left and his father was very abusive to him. Yet, he starts playing football to try and please his father. His hopes of a career are cut short, however, and he ends up in an unlikely place - the school musical. There, he realizes that he has quite a gift for singing and develops a love of music.

He eventually joins a band and tries hard to get them signed. Things look hopeful as he is introduced to some musicians who inspired him greatly, like Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith. but they never seem to be good enough. So, he pretty much gives up. Upon returning home, a bit dejected, he finds his father to be a changed man, something he is initially skeptical of, but all of the experiences he lives through while coming home lead him to write the song for which he became famous, along with his band, MercyMe. It was a song that crossed over genres and was heard and loved by millions of people, something no one expected, certainly not the man who wrote it. But he let the difficult things he was put through in life inspire him to make his art.

As I said, this story delves into some harsh issues, but that is the way this man's life went. So it must be told as it is. And the conveying of that story is greatly enhanced by the cast. J. Michael Finley plays the lead and he does a fantastic job. I believe this was his first role in a movie and that he did all the singing in it, which is impressive. We also have Madeline Carroll as Shannon, Bart's longtime girlfriend, Trace Adkins as MercyMe's manager and the legendary Cloris Leachman as Bart's grandmother. But who steals the show is Dennis Quaid as Arthur, Bart's abusive father. He has a way of making us despise him for the way he treats his son, but we also find ourselves rooting for his redemption. Altogether, I'd say the cast did a very good job of telling this story.

Again, I know people have issues with films like this for many reasons, and I can understand that. But I do believe that this film was one of the better ones in the genre. I've even heard people, who constantly bash these kinds of movies, say that it wasn't that bad. I found the story quite compelling and overall the film seemed much more personal than others I've seen. It tells about a real man who went through real experiences and how he made it through. I understand that not everyone will be into this movie, but I Can Only Imagine is about as uplifting as you can get.

Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer

The Lyrics of Leonard Cohen by Leonard Cohen - Book Review

Greetings,

There are and have been quite a few good songwriters in the world. All those people who can combine words and music and give us something great to listen to. However, there aren't too many who are so good with lyrics that I would read them on their own without the music. Leonard Cohen was one of those people. So, you can imagine how thrilled I was when I found a book called The Lyrics of Leonard Cohen.

I believe the title is self-explanatory, but in case it is not, this book is crammed with lyrics written by the great Leonard Cohen. And I happen to consider him one of the greatest lyricists of all time. Of course, he has written other books, novels and collections of poetry. But, to me, this is a must have collection for any person who loves his work. I happen to be someone who falls into that category and this includes some of my favorite songs of his, like "Anthem" and "If It Be Your Will", not to mention a couple of versions of "Hallelujah" where we get some alternative lyrics that aren't always sung. So, indeed, this collection is something to behold.

There is just something so satisfying about sitting down and flipping through this book. The first time I read this it was nearly impossible to look at those words and not read them to the melodies that are attached to them. I may have even begun to hum a bit as I did so. But after a while and after a few reads, I began to simply do that. Just read the words as they appeared on the page. It was at that point that I really looked at all the work within as not only lyrics but poetry. And it is just that. Although, I can admit that, as much as I love this man's writing, there are a few lines here and there of which I am not totally fond, but they are massively outweighed by the ones I love. And that is a very good thing to have happen.

Oh, and by the way, in addition to the wonderful words, this book also contains quite a few wonderful picture. In amongst the song lyrics, you'll see some beautiful black and white shots of Mr. Cohen. Some of them are in concert, some look like promotional shots and others just look like candids. Any way, they are perfect additions to this collection. Not to mention the very nice introduction by Graham Vickers.

I know that this review is very short and hopefully sweet, but to be honest, there is little more to say about this book. It's just an amazing collection of writing and it's nice to have all these lyrics together in one place, so we can read them whenever we wish to do so. And I wish to do so quite often. So, if you are an admirer of the late, great Leonard Cohen. This is definitely one to check out if you haven't already.

Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer

Daily Battles

Greetings,

Things have been interesting for me lately. I know I mentioned how, for the last couple of years, I've been dealing with some depression. I've also mentioned that, for the last couple of months, I've been pulling myself out of it. It's been tough, but I'm making it through. However, even when things are getting better, it doesn't mean you don't still have things to fight against. In fact, sometimes that's when you have to fight more.

Ever since I made the decision to get my life back together in many ways, I've noticed something. I've been getting attacked quite a bit. I can see that more things have been trying to put me off track more than they have in the past. Just the other day, I had to deal with something that might have been very majorly bad and it hit me pretty hard. Still, I took care of it as best I could, and I chose to move on from it and trust that everything would be okay. Better than okay. That's what I've been doing a lot lately. It's as though something is trying to pull me back to where I was, but I won't let that happen.

All of us deal with daily battles, some bigger than others. It's just a part of life. We can have good days, even great days, but things can sneak in to try to mess with that. Sometimes those things are as little as a person being rude. Sometimes it's something much worse. Either way, we have to fight the battles, work through them, and get on with our lives. It's not always easy. Some daily battles may be the hardest you've ever had to deal with. But you can.

Our lives are full of ups and downs. And no matter what, we can hold on, get through every day and look forward to the next one with hope.

Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer