I Still Believe - Review and Giveaway

One love can change your life. One life can change the world. From the creators of I CAN ONLY IMAGINE comes an inspiring love story for the ages. Rediscover the wonder of love in I STILL BELIEVE, based on the real-life story of chart-topping singer Jeremy Camp.

From Lionsgate/ Kingdom Studios and starring KJ Apa, Britt Robertson, Gary Sinise, and Shania Twain, this was an eagerly anticipated film. After an excellent opening weekend, the arrival of the coronavirus pandemic put a close to theaters. This led to a few weeks of successful VOD, and now the film has now been released to DVD, Blu-Ray, and Digital Downloads. Get yours at your favorite retailer or the istillbelievemovie.com website.

I saw an early prescreening of the film and really did enjoy it, and I refreshed my memory this week with the digital download offered to LEV3L bloggers. The film is based on the story of Christian musician Jeremy Camp and his first wife, Melissa. Their love story was tragically cut short due to ovarian cancer, but the film cannot be written off as a dramatic, tragic tear-jerker. It tells the story of a young, sweet romance between two people who grew even closer to each other and increased their faith in God. Melissa's story is one of courage, peace, inner strength, hope, and inspiration. She wanted her life to make an impact on others and this film fulfills that purpose. Jeremy's grief was heartbreaking, yet the viewer is inspired by his faith in God and that he kept his trust in God and his hope in the future.

I really did enjoy the film but not quite as much as I did I Can Only Imagine. Without giving any spoilers, a couple of scenes seemed out of place or a bit baffling (although they may have actually happened that way). However, I do highly recommend the film; I just get nit-picky when something doesn't quite make sense to me. Overall, the film is definitely one you will want to add to your personal film library. I have watched it 3 times so far and am excited to have a copy to watch many more times. 

SPEAKING OF OWNING A COPY... Here's YOUR chance to win a Digital Download of I Still Believe! Enter to win with #BELIEVEL3 ... and Submit your question(s) for Jeremy to answer in his video--- about the film... about his music... about his life... about his source of Hope (or, tell me your favorite Jeremy Camp song) in comments under the post. 

The giveaway includes:

• FREE digital edition of I STILL BELIEVE
• I STILL BELIEVE pop socket (for your smartphone)
• I STILL BELIEVE wristband
• Exclusive QandA with Jeremy Camp (via video)

DEADLINE TO ENTER IS MAY 17, 2020

UPDATE!

Submit YOUR questions for Jeremy to answer in his video--about the film, about his music, about his life… about his source of Hope… anything. Jeremy will answer select questions by video... to be shared soon.

SOCIAL CORNER

• 
  
  

  Website
• 
  
  

  Buy Now
• 
  
  

  Trailer
• 
  
  

  Facebook

I Can Only Imagine

The story behind the song that went beyond the Christian music charts into the mainstream and brought the group, MercyMe, into prominence in Christian music. The movie is based on the life of musician Bart Millard and the experiences that lead to the writing of the song. Obviously, the film can only touch on a few highlights of his life and career, and J Michael Finley strikes the right note, not only with his amazing musical gift but as an actor portraying Bart Millard. The stand-out for me was Dennis Quaid. I have always been a fan and his performance as an abusive father was outstanding. "I Can Only Imagine" is a film that shows that forgiveness and redemption are always possible and the movie and song tell of the hope many believe in today. There were both tears and laughter from the audience of the sold-out screening I attended and I heard many positive comments. The Erwin Brothers step up their game with each film they make. Congratulations to cast and crew for a job well done.

Mom's Night Out

All Allyson and her friends want is a peaceful, grown-up evening of dinner and conversation . . . a long-needed moms' night out. But in order to enjoy high heels, adult conversation and food not served in a paper bag, they need their husbands to watch the kids for three hours... what could go wrong?

Stars: Sarah Drew, Sean Astin, Patricia Heaton, Trace Adkins, Dave Hunt, Andrea Logan White, Robert Amaya, Abbie Cobb, Harry Shum Jr., Alex Kendrick, Anjelah Johnson, Kevin Downes, Manwell Reves, Sammi Hanratti, Jason Burkey, and Brad Heller.  

Mom's Night Out (Affirm Films, Provident Films) is directed by Jon and Andrew Erwin, written by Jon Erwin and Andrea Gyertson Nasfell, and produced by Kevin Downes, Andrew Erwin, Jon Erwin, Elizabeth Hatcher-Travis, Michael Scott, and David A.R. White. It is distributed by TriStar Pictures.

My Review: Mom's Night Out is one of the most delightful comedies I have seen in years. It was pure joy to sit through a film that was not filled with crude, raunchy, vulgar "humor" or language. I honestly had doubts about even attending; my thoughts were "chick flick" (not a huge fan), the "dad is inept" routine (whose popularity is what led me to quit watching television comedies years ago), and how rare comedy is with faith-based films. I seldom cry or laugh at films, in theaters anyway, but I laughed out loud during much of this film. Best part? I laughed at loud because it genuinely appealed to my sense of humor. Sadly, I have been known to laugh out loud because a film is poorly written or made, but this film is simply funny. 

During the past couple of days, I have read some bad reviews of the film, and I want to address those. The ones I have read have been written by people who apparently attack any film that has Christianity shown in a positive light (and Mom's Night Out is by no stretch of the imagination an evangelical film), stay at home moms (the laments by some of the reviewers about Allyson's lack of employment are a humorous read themselves), and those who actually seem to feel a need for raunchy humor and crude language. I have read a few comments about it being "sexist"; I saw couples I recognize----partners who know that marriage is not 50/50 but 100/100, and that sometimes one needs a bit more support (and it works both ways). Instead of seeing a small slice of life, these reviewers have completely defined people based on one storyline.

I remember having a 'come-apart' a couple of times when a house full of children, especially pre-schoolers, got overwhelming. That is a part of who I am, but not the complete person. Understand what I mean? So, I could completely relate to the film and various characters in it. Some parts edged toward 'screwball comedy', which I happen to love, but sometimes you need to suspend belief for a while. So, take a break, relax, and enjoy!

Loved the film, the writing, the acting...and the location---Birmingham, Alabama!! I highly recommend this film.

Mom's Night Out website
Mom's Night Out on Facebook
Mom's Night Out on IMDb
Buy Tickets

Thanks to Affirm Films for providing me with a ticket to a prescreening via FlyBy Promotions. I was not required to give a review in exchange, but opted to on my own. All opinions are my own.

The Mysterious Islands

The Mysterious Islands is without a doubt one of the most beautifully photographed and informative documentaries I have ever seen. I admit it was with a bit of trepidation that I sat down to watch (not always a doc fan), but I was quickly captivated by the beautiful scenery and the fascinating animals. In no time I was just as quickly engrossed by the insightful dialogue as well-respected researchers gave their reasons for choosing the Biblical account of creation over the theory of evolution.

Filmed in the Galapagos Islands, the "birthplace" of Darwinism, the stunning scenery and the varieties of animals is simply amazing. This is one dvd that I believe will be a hit with every member of the family. Even those too young to listen to the dialogue for long will love watching the activities of the birds, mammals, and reptiles. I think this is a Must-Have for your personal library, whether you are home-schooling or simply want for your child to have a understanding of creationism. There are also several bonus features that only add to the enjoyment of this film, and I must admit the 90 minutes of the main feature kept my rapt attention.

  “Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”