Grant Dillard
Staff writer
gdillard@murraystate.edu
“Breakthrough” tells the true story of John Smith (Marcel Ruiz) a troubled teen who fell through an icy lake in January 2015, and was underwater for more than 15 minutes before being rescued. Despite having no pulse for an extended period of time, that changes once his mother, Joyce (Chrissy Metz) starts praying to God. With only a slight pulse and a renewed sense of hope, the medical team in charge does whatever they can to ensure John makes some form of recovery.
With the premise of a near-death experience in relation to faith in God that’s also based on true events, it’s easy to draw comparisons to films such as “Heaven is for Real,” “Miracles from Heaven” or “90 Minutes in Heaven.” Also, much like those films or any biopic in general, the story can feel predictable depending on if one has already known the full story before going in. But even for viewers who already know the story, it’s still presented in a way that they should still feel invested in what’s happening on screen.
Along with having a decent story revolving around a real-life miracle, the film also has a few inspiring messages as well; going over topics like commitment to faith and what it means to hold on to it even in the toughest moments in life. There’s even a scene that goes over the topic of why does God allow some people to live on, but others don’t; and the way this question is answered is in a way that most audiences should be able to identify with, even if it may not be considered an easy answer. It’s nice that the film’s writers were able to touch on this, as it is a recurring question when it comes to the way God works.
What makes “Breakthrough” stand out is its great cast. Chrissy Metz has already proven her acting talents on the hit NBC series, “This Is Us” and in this film, she’s given another opportunity to shine. Metz perfectly captures the feelings that a mother would have given her current predicament; ranging from worried, upset or angry at times. Metz’s performance and the way that the character of Joyce is written does a good job at making audiences sympathize for her. Even when Joyce lashes out at somebody, it’s easy to see why she feels the way she does.
The rest of the cast are just as memorable. Topher Grace is especially good as Jason Noble, the local pastor with whom Joyce has issues due to his methods of connecting with the youth. While Noble’s ways of reaching out to the younger crowd may seem questionable to a more conservative crowd, it’s clear that his intentions are good. Josh Lucas also leaves an impression as Joyce’s husband, Brian. While Brian is all for supporting Joyce’s hopes of their son’s recovery, he does still have his doubts on the outcome. That doesn’t make him a bad person; rather someone who loves his son very much, but is also ready to fear for the worst. There’s an especially emotional scene where Brian breaks down while explaining why he would rather wait outside the hospital room, as he doesn’t want to see his son in the condition that he’s in.
Young actor, Marcel Ruiz is also impressive as John, even with him spending the majority of the film in a coma. In the scenes before his accident, it’s clear that John, while definitely a troubled child, isn’t a terrible person at heart. John feels a sense of pain and disconnection from his family due to being adopted. There’s enough sympathy that’s built within the character of John that audiences will certainly wish for his full recovery.
The only major problem with the film has to be a subplot revolving around Tommy Shine (Mike Colter), one of the rescuers who managed to save John after hearing a mysterious voice telling him to “go back.” Shine’s contemplation and eventual realization of his predicament is interesting to watch, but the subplot as a whole feels fairly disjointed; mainly because it doesn’t feel like there’s enough depth or time dedicated to it. The overall point that the subplot is trying to make is still there and Colter is good in the role, but the storyline could have still been a little better.
While it’s a bit predictable and cheesy at times, “Breakthrough” is still a well-acted and well-told story with a great cast to work with. Faith-based audiences will feel right at home with this film, but even non-religious viewers should be able to get invested in the story, and maybe still learn a thing or two from it. Either way, “Breakthrough” is definitely worth checking out.