Based off of his popular song of the same name, I Can Only Imagine tells the true story of Millard’s complicated relationship with his abusive father, played in the film by Dennis Quaid. His father’s illness eventually brought them closer together, and helped Millard see first hand how dramatically his dad had changed after finding religion. The low-budget movie has made over $40 million since coming out in mid-March and continues to do strong business. Bart cried in his dark room for hours, until his father burst in and turned on the light. The true story behind I Can Only Imagine reveals that the reason for the beating was because Bart had forged his father's name on a notification that he had made the honor roll. Imagine a young Bart Millard seated in a Nashville recording studio, grasping for words. Based on a true story, this inspiring film explores one man's journey to find peace and forgiveness as the lead singer of the Christian band, MercyMe. The faith-based film I Can Only Imagine shocked Hollywood earlier this year by opening No. “I don’t think anyone realized how abusive he was going to become,” Millard says. “(N)obody sings that song like Bart,” she said. 1,202,255. "He beat me all the way through the house," recalled Bart. Madeline Carroll, Trace Adkins, Priscilla Shirer, and Cloris Leachman also star. -Catholic Digest, "My dad was diagnosed with cancer my freshman year of high school," says Bart. Starring Dennis Quaid, J. Michael Finley, Trace Adkins, Copyright © 2021 HistoryvsHollywood.com, CTF Media. The band is currently promoting the feature film titled “I Can Only Imagine,” a true story based on the life of lead singer Bart Millard who wrote the mega-hit song “I Can Only Imagine” after the loss of his father to cancer. He returned to live with his father at the end of the sixth grade. than religious.”. “It was more O.C.D. Bart was 19 at the time. I Can Only Imagine is directed by the Erwin Brothers (Andrew and Jon), whose previous directorial works include Mom’s Night Out and Woodlawn. Fortunately, it took nearly 8 years for the movie to develop, giving Millard, 45, enough time to psychologically prepare himself. Arthur Millard had never laid a hand on Bart's mother, Adele, but she suffered verbal, psychological and emotional abuse. "Everything on me hurt so badly I couldn't lay on my back." "The movie made it look like it all happened in my junior and senior year of high school." His father froze as he looked at his son's back and saw the black and purplish bruises and the dark welts. Yes. The inspiring and unknown true story behind MercyMe's beloved, chart topping song that brings ultimate hope to so many is a gripping reminder of the power of true forgiveness. Shazam! Every song tells a story. She gave the song back to him and asked him if he would perform it with her at the event. Millard now lives outside of Nashville with his childhood sweetheart, and wife of 20 years, Shannon, and their five children: Sam, 16, Gracie, 13, Charlie, 11, Sophie, 9, and Miles, 6. "I think the biggest thing is, there's no agenda: We're not trying to shove … “I ended up living in fear for most of my childhood.”, While his father didn’t drink or have substance abuse issues, he did have a short temper and grew accustomed to taking out his frustrations on his son. The Greatest Story Ever Told. The story behind "I Can Only Imagine" was adapted into a film. -People.com, Yes. "I Can Only Imagine" is the best selling Christian song of all time but no one knows the story behind the song and how this song that really touched the world came to be. [49] this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. It was decided that it would be best for Bart and his older brother Stephen to stay with their father, Arthur (People). "It was more O.C.D. "People ask, 'Did your dad really break a plate over your head?' In addition to his head injury from being struck by a truck on the job, the family doctor always felt that getting hit hard playing football since he was five also contributed to the likely frontal lobe injury. The film stars J. Michael Finley as Bart Millard, the lead singer who wrote the song about his relationship with his father (Dennis Quaid). Yes. According to Bart, his mother always said, "I married a teddy bear but went home with a monster" (Billboard). It tells the amazing true story behind Christian band MercyMe’s iconic, history-making song I Can Only Imagine. And it was written by this kid from Texas named Bart Millard. -Contagious Encouragement. “She said, ‘I can only imagine what your dad’s seeing now,’ and I became obsessed with that phrase,” he says. Yes. “Whether you have an abusive father or the most amazing dad ever, every son is trying to find their way out from under the shadow of their dad. You can’t blame the Erwin brothers for capitalizing on a hugely successful formula. -Catholic Digest, Like in the movie, the idea for the song came from a comment his grandmother made at his father's funeral. “The only time I ever got mad at God was not during the abusive, but when he died,” Millard adds. Eventually, he came to see it as a sign. "We heard a lot of people talking about losing loved ones and how 9/11 impacted them," Millard told USA Today. "She was there when he passed away," says Bart. Rediscover the wonder of love in I STILL BELIEVE, based on the real-life story of chart-topping singer Jeremy Camp. When Christian rocker Bart Millard was first approached with the idea of turning his life story into a movie, he never imagined it would go on to become a box office hit. “I remember being nervous more than anything, because even though I had said yes to the movie, the idea of digging up stuff I’ve been trying to bury most of my life and then putting it up on a big screen — I wasn’t sure I was ready,” he tells PEOPLE. But in the new faith-based movie, "I Can Only Imagine" about MercyMe lead singer Bart Millard and the story behind his hit song of the same name, … If you would like to opt out of browser push notifications, please refer to the following instructions specific to your device and browser: The Painful True Story Behind MercyMe Singer Bart Millard's Hit Faith-Based Movie. We begin to hear more about Bart's story, just a very interesting, complex father-son story. “I Can Only Imagine” was an instant hit on faith-based radio stations, but it wasn’t until MercyMe had started promoting their second album that the song became a surprise cross-over success on Top 40 stations across the country. It all started before Bart was born when his father, Arthur, suffered a head injury when he was hit by a diesel truck while working as the guy who waves traffic through construction sites. However, she didn't tell Bart by having a sudden change of heart while on stage at a concert. Directed by Andrew Erwin, Jon Erwin. "I was like his punching bag" (People). As soon as Bart walked in, his father began whipping him for several minutes with a razor strap. The film will release in March of 2018. 3 at the box office, ending its run with $83 million. I recently sat down with one of the movie’s producers, Joe Knopp, to talk about the film and Millard’s story, but our conversation soon turned to Knopp’s life story, and it’s quite an I Can Only Imagine tale of its own. At 18, 19 years old, I was really upset and had to work through that.”, At his father’s funeral, Millard’s grandmother made an off-hand comment. MercyMe’s “I Can Only Imagine” would go on to earn triple platinum status and win the 2002 Dove Award’s “Pop Contemporary Song of the Year.” The group has had numerous No. That’s the case with “I Can Only Imagine,” the 2001 MercyMe song that surged seemingly out of nowhere to become the biggest-selling Christian single of all time. And it’s literally changed the trajectory of my life.”, His dad’s transformation helped him discover his own faith. The filmmakers’ last faith-based film, 2018’s I Can Only Imagine, … Maybe it’s as simple as that.”. It was his short temper and tendency to take out his frustrations on his son that was at the root of the abuse. Expand on what you know about the true story behind the I Can Only Imagine movie by watching the videos below, including an interview with Bart Millard and the music video for the song. One love can change your life. Yes. “I didn’t care what other people would think about it when I wrote it, it was almost like therapy to me.”. “I’m in a great place now but I never thought in a million years it would actually happen.”. Seeing how much it changed his dad helped Bart to discover his own faith. There was no denying it.”. Watching the scene being reenacted on set brought Millard to tears. "I Can Only Imagine" took in more than $83 million domestically on a budget of $7 million and became fifth-highest-grossing musical biopic of all time. -People, The film heightens the drama here a bit. Arthur Millard was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at age 44, during Bart's freshman year in high school. The inspiring and unknown true story behind MercyMe's beloved, chart topping song that brings ultimate hope to so many is a gripping reminder of the power of true forgiveness. His father didn't drink or use drugs. A film based on the story behind the famous MercyMe hit single ‘I Can Only Imagine’ is presently shooting in Oklahoma and is expected to be released in the spring of 2018. Unlike the movie, he didn't write the song right after his father died. Go behind the scenes of Bart’s life—and the movie based on it—to discover how God repaired a broken family, prepared Bart for ministry through music, and wrote the words on his heart that would change his life forever. Rediscover the wonder of love in I STILL BELIEVE, based on the real-life story of chart-topping singer Jeremy Camp. “By the time he passed away when I was a freshman in college, not only was he my best friend, he was like the Godliest man I’d ever known. No. It went on to become the bestselling Christian single of all time. She's a huge part of my story," Millard wrote on Twitter in January 2017. In the film, Bart Millard (J. Michael Finley) reminds his father (Dennis Quaid) of this childhood incident as his father is trying to make amends. “I’d always been into music, but now I’m into ministry because I’d never seen a person change like that before and I’ve rarely seen it since. Yes. It was the first time that Bart had ever heard his father cry. Bart's brother Stephen (pictured below) is absent from the movie. "And I grabbed a bat and yelled, 'I'm too big to be treated like that! (L-R) Back Row: Sam (16), Gracie (13), and Bart Millard. Fearing he might do something worse to his son, Arthur sent Bart to live with his mother, Adele, and her new husband in San Antonio, Texas. The I Can Only Imagine true story reveals that Bart's parents divorced when he was just three years old. He took a job with the Department of Transportation as a flag waver on construction sites. "My wife, [Shannon], was my first girlfriend in 8th grade. Rent $3.99. The true-life story of Christian music artist Jeremy Camp is the inspiration for an emotionally impactful romantic tragedy. I CAN ONLY IMAGINE (2018) The inspiring an unknown true story behind MercyMe's beloved, chart topping song that brings the ultimate hope to so many is a gripping remnder of the power of true … His life underwent another dramatic change when, during his freshman year of high school, his dad was diagnosed with cancer. Coyote Ugly Turns 20: Where Is the Cast Now? Starring in the film are up-and-coming Broadway star J. Michael Finley (Les Miserables) and Golden Globe ® nominee Dennis Quaid (2011, Best Actor – Limited Series or Television Motion Picture, The Special Relationship; 2003, Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture, Far From … I Can Only Imagine ... of true forgiveness. Asked why he believes the song has resonated with so many people, Millard says he thinks its universal message has helped. The song comforted many around 9/11. The I Can Only Imagine true story confirms that Bart's grandmother (Memaw) came up with the name for the band. He was an All-American football star who played for Southern Methodist University, but he hurt his knee around his sophomore year, which restricted his playing time. "It's literally changed the trajectory of my life," Bart said while speaking of his father finding God. He saw it as a sign and started to incorporate it into a song. His father felt embarrassed and waited for Bart to get home. Unlike what is seen in the movie, Bart lived with his mother up until the third grade. The story takes us back to when he was ten years old, living in Texas with an abusive father and a mother who has lost all hope. "If he got embarrassed or cut off in traffic or whatever, he would take a swing at me," Bart recalls. “I finally got the dad I always wanted and then he left. It guided his life, his music, and the choices he's made since. You'll get the latest updates on this topic in your browser notifications. When his mom remarried and relocated a few years later, his family decided it would be best if he and his brother stayed with their dad, Arthur. WATHC: “I Can Only Imagine (The Movie Session)” from the Newly Released Album I Can Only Imagine – The Very Best Of MercyMe. I Can Only Imagine Watch Now Based on the true story behind the song by the famous Christian band MercyMe, this movie will keep you feeling inspired all weekend long. 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