Ragamuffin

I agree with a reviewer above that the movie did not project the whimsical Rich as seen in the delivery of his talks at concerts. Way too serious and broken. Rich had a way of being broken and still showed a child like love of Jesus in his words, but in the movie he was always angry. And one thing that bugged me is that his haircut seemed to change on a whim. A sequence with short hair was followed by a sequence with long hair and a beard and then back to short hair - over and over. May sound silly, but as far as movie production goes that should not happen.

Overall, it is a good insight to a man struggling with his faith. And the Brennan Manning character was great.

I have been following the development of this film and was disappointed when it could not achieve theatrical release. The minute it came out on DVD, I got on my bike and headed down to Walmart. I have watched it twice. There are things in the film production I can criticize, like the length of Mullins' hair in different scenes, but that is pointless. The fact is, the film drove me to Brennan Manning who I had no knowledge of. I consider the most important scenes in the film, the ones with Mullins and Manning. I actually had to go to IMDb to find out who Manning was. Since then, I have read The "Ragamuffin Gospel" and purchased two copies for friends. Rich Mullins was a messed up genius whose faith never wavered. That came through loud and clear in the film. He was not ashamed of his shortcomings and addictions. When Manning tells him God will ask only one question when you die: "Do you know how much God loves you?", I think Mullins could answer 'Yes,' despite his problems. This is a film that inspires the viewer to look deeper into the subject matter, and for that single reason, it is a success. For that single reason, you need to watch this film despite its flaws.

Overall, I was pleased with the honesty of the film. There was a darkness in his soul similar to Mother Teresa's spiritual darkness. That pain certainly came out in his music and is the big reason I listened to him then and still today. Love was not just a feeling. I was disappointed they skipped his exploration of Catholicism considering the rest of the honesty in the film, but they did pay homage to St. Francis.

The Brennan Manning scenes were powerful. Michael Koch sang/played the music believably and his acting was above average. It was a nice touch to have Mitch McVicker in the film. Sometimes on these Christian films the acting can be sub par, but I did not see it here.

The film runs 2.5 hours and they could have cut it down some, but I didn't feel bored, and the people I went with cried at the more emotional scenes. That tells me that they were certainly engaged.

I would recommend the film and encourage people to rediscover his music.

This movie was recommended to me by a friend with whom I shared my feelings of spiritual "wandering" if you will; a believer with lots of questions and a feeling of emptiness that comes and goes. The acting was very good and the story honest. I am use to movies that lead to an obvious conclusion, however, this movie wasn't the typical countdown to an epiphanic moment. Rather, it was exactly what I needed in realizing I am not alone in my struggles for meaning. Wear comfortable clothes because this movie is a bit long.

My rating of "8" out of 10 is relative to movies of this category. This film should not be compared to Hollywood blockbusters, and justifiably so; the film is a message to each viewer who wishes to receive. The feature was not, in my opinion, made to entertain but more importantly to potentially impact your life in a far greater way than even the most popular movies ever could.

Enjoy.

Rich Mullins was a broken man. A man who felt rejected by his father, and by the God that the evangelical church had presented to him. He was also extremely gifted with the ability to express his struggle through words and music. He wrote just enough praise-happy songs to get Nashville to notice and lure him to record and sell his music. But, the real Rich remained tortured by his depression, addictions, and pain. He could sing about the love of God, but struggled to accept it himself.

"Ragamuffin" is a term used by author Brennan Manning, who is also depicted in the film. The word describes one whose "deepest awareness ... is that he is deeply loved by Jesus Christ and has done nothing to earn it or deserve it." It becomes an aspiration of Mullins to grasp that reality in the midst of a Christian subculture that prides itself on it's own triumphalism. As an artist, and a person, Rich Mullins was too honest - and too broken - to claim such a victory.

That is why the message of this movie contrasts so sharply with the latest "Christian" theatrical release, "God's Not Dead." There, Christianity is painted with bold strokes of black and white with little room for the gray smudges that watercolor the Ragamuffin's life. The two films could not be more different as well in their presentation of the Christian consumerism that has created Contemporary Christian Music. "God's Not Dead" blatantly uses the Newsboys as angelic messengers of the film's tag-line. They are not even represented as "artists" but function instead as "product placement." (Willie Robertson, of Duck Dynasty, cameos offering his "celebrity endorsement" for Jesus.) This was the "Christian World" that Rich Mullins hated, and worked all his career to avoid being conformed into. It was not his home.

Many evangelical Christians will be surprised, perhaps shocked or offended, to witness just what a mess Mullins was. Like the scriptures, the movie doesn't blink in showing us his flaws. You'll see him smoking, drinking, and swearing -- all while also clearly witnessing to the truth of the gospel with both his words and deeds. For many of us, it will be too much to stomach. Mullins would not fit in among many of our church friends. But, if Jesus still welcomes the poor in spirit, the mourning, and those hungering for righteousness into his Kingdom -- then Rich should be right at home there.