I Can Only Imagine

I Can Only Imagine tells the true story of Bart Millard, a young man from Texas whose childhood was marked by his father's physical and emotional abuse. Music becomes his escape, and after his mother leaves the family, he is left to cope with his father alone. Singing gives him a direction that eventually leads to the Christian band MercyMe, though a record deal remains out of reach. The song he writes about his relationship with his father, and the faith that reshaped it, becomes the turning point.

The film is a drama directed by Jon Erwin and Andrew Erwin, working from a screenplay by Jon Erwin and Brent McCorkle. It is the fourth feature in the brothers' directing filmography, following October Baby, Moms' Night Out and Woodlawn. J. Michael Finley plays Bart, with Dennis Quaid as his father Arthur, Madeline Carroll, Trace Adkins, Cloris Leachman and Jason Burkey in supporting roles. Kevin Downes produced.

Released in 2018, the film cost about 7 million dollars to make and earned roughly 86 million worldwide, a strong return on its budget. On IMDb it holds 7.3 out of 10 from more than 17,000 votes, while on TMDB it sits at 7.5 from a smaller number of ratings, indicating a generally positive audience response. The critics' rating stands at 5.8 out of 10 from 33 reviews, lower than the audience scores. A follow-up, I Can Only Imagine 2, is listed among Andrew Erwin's later directorial credits.