The true-life story of Christian music star Jeremy Camp and his journey of love and loss that looks to prove there is always hope.
“I Still Believe” chronicles the real-life story of Christian musician Jeremy Camp. It recounts Camp’s star-crossed relationship with his first love, Melissa Henning, just as he was beginning his journey into fulfilling his life-long passion for writing and performing music. Camp is now a well-established icon in his niche of the music industry with many awards and nominations to his growing list of credits. The film is advertised as a “romantic drama” that lays bare Camp’s experience of “love and loss and hope.”
This biopic brought several dilemmas to the mind of the reviewer: 1): how does one critique a “true” story and, 2): what exactly is a melodrama as distinguished from real-life drama? Actually, the second question was the first I wanted to answer after seeing “I Still Believe.” So, can real life be melodramatic? Or does that label hinge on the avenue of the telling of the story? A critical difference when experiencing this film.
I guess whenever I have thought of melodrama I have thought of it in the old stereotype of the pretty young thing tied to the railroad tracks as we hear the train whistle in the distance. Something akin to “Ten Nights in a Bar Room,” and, yes, I know that show because I actually directed it once, but no questions, please. I realized after watching “I Still Believe” that the devil is not in the details, but in the telling of the story. In other words, does the unfolding story deliberately tug on the audience’s heartstrings or are those tugs just the tugs of real-life upon us?
This film begins its tug on the viewer’s heartstrings almost in the first scene. Well, in the second, for sure as we see Jeremy Camp, played by K.J. Apa, leaving for college and consoling his intellectually challenged brother, Joshua (Reuben Dodd), who is in tears at his big brother’s departure. The tugging continues when Camp turns down his father Tom’s (Gary Sinise) offer of his own guitar to take with him to college, but then a scene or two later is touched and accepts the offer of a brand new guitar to take instead. Jeremy, fortunately, takes that guitar, or the movie might have ended right there.
The storyline then divides into two parallel sub-stories as Camp falls simultaneously in love with music as his calling and with a young woman, Melissa Henning (Britt Robertson), literally across a crowded room. And the context within which all of this occurs is the story as a manifestation of God’s love and His plan for all. That plan is seen initially through a dark glass but is eventually clearly revealed through Camp’s triumph in music. That underlying theme of the difficulty in understanding God’s plan is, to the film’s credit, I believe, never preachy or condescending. If the message is to reach the audience, it must be subtle and I believe, for the most part, that is the case. Is it melodramatic? Yes and no. There are those intentional tugs at our hearts, but most happen as that is the story to be told.
My other dilemma was this: is this a story about Jeremy Camp and, if so, is the story of Melissa Hennings shortchanged? The answer is yes, in a way it has to be because it is his story. I worried about her family and how they would see this issue, but Camp assures in later interviews they were thrilled at the way her story was presented. Hennings apparently left many notes regarding her feelings and it would be interesting to see this presented from her point of view. That, of course, is beside the point here. A jaded person might see “I Still Believe” as a way for a good businessman to take advantage of a tear-jerker of a story to further his own career, but I see no evidence of that. I think we must take Jeremy Camp’s story just as he told it: a story of love, loss, and hope.
K.J. Apa completely wraps himself in the persona of Camp and performs the music himself. Britt Robertson beautifully balances herself between love and anger and grief. Side note to the costumer: the scarves and head wraps and the subsequent short wig are not convincing. In this day and age, a better compromise to complete head-shaving should be easily available. And Mr. Sinise — we’ve missed you. Yours is a thoughtful, loving and warm characterization of Jeremy’s father. Speaking of missing someone, welcome to the big screen, Shania Twain! Hope to see you again soon.
In Theaters Friday, March 13th
