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Here's a look at the new movie I saw this week. This is a strange time in the history of our country. Obviously there are no movies coming right now, and there's not even theaters open in most of the country. But there are still new movies to see, and that can be a way to get some break, even for a little, from all that's happening. So I'll continue to review new movies I've seen, and hopefully we can share the good, the bad, and the rest together.

I Still Believe
Starring: K.J. Apa, Britt Robertson, Gary Sinise, Shania Twain, Nathan Parsons, and Melissa Roxburgh
Synopsis: This was part of the final wave of new movies that were released, and figured to be one of the biggest. This Christian film is a biopic based on singer Jeremy Camp, and his first wife. It takes place when they met and fell in love in college, and then Melissa (Robertson) gets sick. It becomes a test of love and faith for both of them, and a story that has served to inspire people the world over. The film touches on all that and does a nice job at time. I told a friend I thought this represented the best and worst of Christian films. On the plus side, the film completely captured the Christian College experience to the point that I (a BIOLA grad) was chuckling at some of the story beats. It also has some moments of true power and beauty as people wrestle with issues of faith, particularly faith at a point in time when you pray with all you have and the answer from God is no. That's a real thing, and something this film never shies away from. I thought that worked well. There is a particularly strong moment between Sinise, who played Camp's father, and Apa, who played Camp, in the third act that really got to me. That's the good. The bad is that the story plays out in what feel like some cliches at times. In fact, I joked this felt like a true life re-make of "A Walk to Remember." While that probably clues you in to some of the plot, it's not like the plot here is meant to be a mystery. The bad also includes dialogue that is sometimes so painfully on the nose, and so painfully executed, that it literally hurt. That is sometimes the pitfall here when the earnestness of the message overcomes the craft of filmmaking. This wasn't a bad film, but it wasn't an exceptional one, either. The story, however, is exceptional and is worth seeing and thinking about, especially during times as trying as the ones we're enduring now.
Rating: PG for thematic material.
Verdict: Two stars out of four.