I Still Believe

Cast: KJ Apa (Riverdale), Britt Robertson (A Dog’s Purpose), Shania Twain, and Gary Sinise (Forrest Gump, CSI:NY)
Directors: Jon and Andrew Erwin
Rating: PG

From the makers of I Can Only Imagine, comes the true-life story of Christian music megastar Jeremy Camp and his remarkable journey of love and loss that proves there is always hope in the midst of tragedy and that faith tested is the only faith worth sharing.

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Reviewer: Laura Davis

I Still Believe is based on the true-life love story of Christian singer Jeremy Camp and his wife, Melissa. The message is one of resilience, of believing in God and having faith in Him no matter what life throws at you. Seventeen Magazine voted I Still Believe as the most romantic movie of 2020! And if you are around that age and falling in love for the first time, you will likely agree with them.

But this movie is not just about young love. It's about faith in God and the strength it takes to continue believing in Him when everything in your life shatters. When Jeremy's wife received her cancer diagnosis, they weren't yet married, but when she was declared cancer-free, they felt God had answered their prayers and looked forward to their life together, serving Him. But sometimes, life doesn't live up to our expectations. God doesn't answer our prayers the way we expect or want. And that's the hard truth about this movie - will you still believe when God says no to you? If you don't get your healing, will you still believe in Him? If your entire life and belief system are based on a God who loves you and heals - and He doesn't heal you, will you still believe? 

There may be those who come away from this movie, thinking God doesn't answer prayer. But there will be those, like myself, who see how God used both Melissa and Jeremy for His glory. I have heard Jeremy Camp's testimony about this time in his life and how it forever changed how he worshipped God and trusted in Him. His story is so encouraging. 

The only critical things I have to say about this movie centre around the scenes where Jeremy (K.J. Apa) and Melissa (Britt Robertson) are sneaking around behind her boyfriend's back. These left me feeling uncomfortable and made me dislike Melissa because she was leading both guys on, but also Jeremy because he was encouraging her to cheat. Then to immediately go to Jeremy singing songs about being used by God seemed so weird. However, Jean-Luc, the guy they betrayed, what a stand-up guy! I have heard since that Jean-Luc and Melissa were never boyfriend/girlfriend and therefore there was no "sneaking around." However, the directors did a poor job explaining that in my opinion.

The other thing that bothered me was that Gary Sinise was in this movie and barely had any lines! How can you have a man of his talent and not feature him more prominently?  

That aside, when Melissa chooses to believe that stage-3 cancer might be God's way of choosing something bigger for her, something she wouldn't have chosen for herself was the crux of the movie. "If one person's life is changed by what I go through, it will all be worth it."

And by telling her story, Jeremy Camp has managed to not only keep Melissa alive but one person's life was changed - his. Of course, many more lives have been touched and changed by Melissa's story, but the impact her life and death had on Jeremy, changed the course of his ministry.

God does not always answer our prayers the way we want, but He always has a reason why. So if you are going through something right now, can you still believe?

If not, then you need to see this movie. 

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