“Breakthrough” Movie Review

    I live in the state of Michigan, a state hit by the outbreak of the Coronavirus and under heavy restrictions not unlike most states and counties currently.  In an instant, life changed for many of us with some of us without a job for the foreseeable future and others working extra hard to keep people safe.  From our health care workers to our grocery store workers, everyone is either working extra hard or are without a job suffering from uncertainty.  We need escapism more than ever but sadly the shut down of almost all theaters is yet another casualty of the spreading Coronavirus.  On the bright side, we happen to live in a time of affordable digital and physical media options.  I suggest seeking films and shows with more positive messages and themes personally so I decided to watch “Breakthrough”.

    The film tells the true story of a young boy named John whose life forever changed when he fell through a sheet of ice and almost died while playing on a frozen lake.  Throughout everything and against all hope, his mother Joyce believed her son would recover.  Joyce’s faith in God never wavers and when John finally recovers, it’s a sign to anyone who believes in a higher power that miracles really do happen.

    So what are my first impressions of this film?  Well, while I believe in God, I am not the most religious person out there and I tend to not be the biggest fan of faith based films.  It’s not so much that I am against their messages or their religious tones, but most are sort of over the top and it pulls me out of the film.  While there are a few over the top moments in this film, the film finds a decent balance with it’s message and it’s depiction of the actual events.  This balance makes the religious based aspects of the movie feel more relatable and moving, to me personally at least.

    The film was directed by Roxann Dawson of “Star Trek: Voyager” fame and she does a great job with her transition from directing television to directing a feature film.  No doubt due to her time on “Star Trek: Voyager”, Dawson brings to the table the ability to focus on her ensemble without losing direction of the central story.

    The ensemble cast all delivered an earnest and honest performance which helped with the believability of the film overall.  The cast was led by Chrissy Metz of “This is Us” fame and Metz gives a strong performance as Joyce (in addition to singing “I’m Standing With You” during the end credits).  Topher Grace is also very good in his role as Pastor Jason Noble.

    In this time of uncertainty and fear, we all just need to sit back and have some faith in one another and refrain from panicking.  Our way of living has changed, perhaps forever, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it has to be for the worst.  “Breakthrough” may not be perfect and it may be a bit cliche, but it also might just be what some people need to watch now.  Miracles are possible, you just have to keep the faith.

Grade: B-