When her 14-year-old son drowns in a lake, a faithful mother prays for him to come back from the brink of death and be healed.
“Breakthrough” is based on the true story of one mother’s unfaltering love in the face of impossible odds. When Joyce Smith’s (Chrissy Metz) adopted son John (Marcel Ruiz) falls through an icy Missouri lake, all hope seems lost. But as John lies lifeless, Joyce refuses to give up. Her steadfast belief inspires those around her to continue to pray for John’s recovery, even in the face of every case history and scientific prediction.
Going into this movie and being that it was “Based on a true story,” I decided to go into the screening cold and not do any research on the actual event, so I could be unbiased while watching. I’m glad I did, had I done the research I may have skewed this review a little differently. I’ll admit that I’m already naturally hesitant when it comes to any miracle story, but given that it’s meant to be an uplifting story of hope, I opened up my mind to the possibilities. However, the potential to reach my closed mind and make a believer of me fell short as there were unfortunately too many “miracles” in this movie that took the tone from plausible to borderline fantasy.
The cinematography and direction of the film are a bit lackluster, playing off more like a Lifetime TV movie than a theatrical release, as it starts off with a slow montage of basic daily life in the Smith family, as well as shots of the town to emphasize how small and connected it is. Amongst these shots are various posters and references to Stephen Curry, at first one would think that maybe he’s the kid’s hero/role model, but just as you’re finishing that thought, up pops that Executive Producer: Stephen Curry and it all makes sense, similar to TV sponsorship. In all honesty, I was expecting him to appear at some point in the film, but surprisingly, he did not. Now I understand this is Roxann Dawson’s feature film, unfortunately, it clearly shows, but again it’s a learning curve and I’m sure improvements will come with every project for her.
Headlining this feature is Chrissy Mitz as Joyce Smith, widely known for her role on the popular drama “This Is Us.” Joyce is a devoted mother and a woman of unfailing faith who tries to connect with her son despite his attempts to keep her at a distance. Still, she’s there, driving him to practices, to school, and forcing him to attend Sunday service with the family. Her performance fell flat in any scene that didn’t require over the top emotion, which goes back to her notoriety on “This Is Us.” Many of her scenes felt like they were being phoned in, aside from her big moment with her son lying lifeless which she delivered powerfully. Much of the supporting cast, ranging from Josh Lucas to Dennis Haysbert, seemed to be following suit as well, with all coming in bland and no real drive behind each performance. There was one saving grace in this cast, that being Topher Grace who was able to own each of his scenes no matter who they were shared with, giving us the most likable and relatable character in this feature.
In the end, “Breakthrough” quickly lost all possibilities of inspiration, and instead became an aggressive push to get families to church.
In theaters Wednesday, April 17th
