The trailer lends itself to that of "A star is Born". So, I decided to watch it without knowing anything about the people it is based on. This is a true story based on the life of Christian Singer Rebecca St. James before her rise to fame. The film begins by showing that her family didn't always struggle and were well off until one bad investment during a recession cost them everything. The rest of the runtime goes on to show their struggles to get back on their feet and how she got her break as a Christian Singer.
Joel Smallbone (David Smallbone) played a believable role as the father of this family struggling to keep them financially stable. Through his character he was able to show how much this father cared for his family and how much it hurt him to not be able to take care of them at times. Compared to other characters, he was given some depth which helped make him relatable.
The standout performance was that of Daisy Betts (Helen Smallbone). She stole every scene she was in as this mother who stayed strong for her family despite their hardships. Her acting ranged from subtle body language and facial expressions to full on dramatic moments. There wasn't a single emotion she didn't express.
Kirrilee Berger (Rebecca St. James) unfortunately wasn't given much to work with. She was a subdued character despite this film being inspired by her. For most of the time she was just the daughter with the good singing voice. She was easily forgotten in this story that overpowered her with the drama between her parents. She should have been more of the focus since this ultimately became her story even if it was the family's story.
The remaining family members weren't developed as characters. Only one of them was given somewhat of a personality the rest were just bodies to make this family appear large. The only thing that supports having such meaningless characters is the fact that they had to be in the film to represent the real family.
The music works well throughout complementing its emotional scenes. The singing was also enjoyable. The family drama was engaging enough to keep one invested in what it had to say. There were many positive messages and touching moments which accentuated the importance of family, hard work and having faith. However, the film is in no way heavy handed with its message of faith. There are scenes where the family is praying and going to church but it isn't preachy. It simply shows the family's beliefs. Many of the negative reviews stem from those who feel this film should have fully devoted itself to religious talks. If those are your expectations then do not watch this film.
The ending wasn't very pleasing as it rushes its conclusion on what's already a very predictable plot. The film needed to show more of the family's success instead of coming to a halt at the turn of their misfortune.
