I Can Only Imagine – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

I Can Only Imagine

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

movie2018

55%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

The true story behind MercyMe's hit song—heavy on faith, redemption, and childhood trauma that's tough to watch.

69%

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I Can Only Imagine

movie

PG, 2018

55%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

The true story behind MercyMe's hit song—heavy on faith, redemption, and childhood trauma that's tough to watch.

69%

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Screenwise Verdict

Let's be real: this is a niche film. If you're a MercyMe fan or your family is deeply plugged into Christian music culture, this movie will resonate. The story of turning childhood trauma into the best-selling Christian single of all time is genuinely powerful.

But it's also a tough watch. The abuse scenes aren't gratuitous, but they're emotionally heavy and take up significant screen time. And as a piece of cinema, it's pretty conventional—think Hallmark pacing with a heavier subject matter. The massive audience/critic score gap (91% vs 30 on Metacritic) tells you this is made for a specific audience who will love it, while everyone else will find it slow and preachy.

For families looking for faith-based content that tackles serious issues, it's solid. For everyone else, it's probably a pass. Your 10-year-old who loves VeggieTales isn't ready for this, and your 15-year-old scrolling TikTok will check out in the first 20 minutes unless they're already invested in the story.

Age Fit

Best for ages 11-16 who are already familiar with Christian music culture and can handle heavy themes about abuse and redemption. Younger kids won't have the emotional maturity; older teens may find it too earnest or slow.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

Models forgiveness, redemption, and father-son reconciliation. However, the journey includes depictions of physical and emotional abuse that, while resolved positively, create an emotionally heavy atmosphere. The film ultimately promotes healing and faith-based values, but the path there is painful.

Imaginative

Straightforward biographical drama with conventional Christian film storytelling. Follows a predictable redemption arc without much creative risk or visual innovation. The music elements add some interest, but the narrative structure is formulaic and doesn't invite much curiosity or exploration beyond its inspirational message.

Safe

Contains depictions of physical and emotional abuse of a child, which is the film's central conflict. While not graphically violent or gratuitous, these scenes are emotionally intense and potentially triggering. Common Sense Media rates it for age 10+, acknowledging the heavy themes. No sexual content, profanity, or gore, but the abuse content means this isn't something kids can stumble into without preparation.

Enriching

Offers meaningful lessons about forgiveness, healing from trauma, and redemption. The true story behind a beloved song provides some cultural literacy for Christian families. However, the emotional growth is heavily faith-specific and the film's didactic approach limits broader enrichment. Strong audience scores (91% RT, 7.3 IMDb) suggest it resonates emotionally, though critics were more mixed (69% RT critics, 30 Metacritic).

Parent Info

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Why It Might Be Great

Powerful story of forgiveness and healing from an abusive childhood—if your family is ready for that conversation
Offers context for one of Christian music's most iconic songs, which many kids already know
Models that broken relationships can be mended, even after serious harm
Strong audience ratings suggest it genuinely moves people who connect with faith-based storytelling

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What to Watch For

Multiple scenes of a father physically and emotionally abusing his son—not graphic, but emotionally intense and central to the plot
This is a slow-burn, dialogue-heavy drama that will likely bore younger viewers or kids not already invested in Christian music
Very explicit Christian messaging throughout; this is unambiguously a faith film, not just faith-adjacent
The 22-point gap between critic and audience scores tells you everything: audiences who want this type of film love it; everyone else finds it heavy-handed

Conversation Starters

"Have you ever had to forgive someone who really hurt you? What made that hard or possible?"
"The dad in this movie changed a lot—do you think people can really change like that?"
"What do you think helped Bart turn his painful memories into something beautiful like that song?"
"How do you think Bart felt performing that song, knowing what it was really about?"

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