by Sophie Saint-Firmin, News Editor
Based on the story behind the hit song by MercyMe, the movie “I Can Only Imagine” tells of singer and songwriter Bart Millard’s relationship with his father and his father’s terminal cancer.
“I Can Only Imagine” was No. 3 in the box office and sold over $17 million in ticket sales. The film features an old Audio Adrenaline song titled “We’re a Band,” which one of Asbury’s media communications and audio production professors, Barry Blair, had a hand in writing. He, Mark Stuart, Bob Herdman and Will McGinnis wrote this song in 1993, according to Blair.
“It is very exciting for a song that I wrote and played on so many years ago see new life and reach a new audience through its appearance in the movie ‘I Can Only Imagine,’ as well as on the soundtrack. I met Bart Millard when he was in college, and MercyMe was just starting…long before he wrote ‘I Can Only Imagine.’ It’s nice that he acknowledges the influence of other Christian music on his own career and ministry, including my former band Audio Adrenaline.”
The film’s co-directors Jon and Andy Erwin said that the musical aspects of the movie help audiences relate better.
“Every song that we picked in the movie was on purpose,” Andy Erwin said. “This is a portrait of Bart Millard. He’s a huge fan of Christian music. He’s not just a Christian musician. He loves Christian music.”
According to the Christian blog, Patheos, the directing duo is interested in making more films with Christian music.
“We’re actually looking at at least one and possibly two stories that delve into a similar world,” he said. “There are other music stories about songs that we love so much, understanding the life experiences that brought that song about, it’s a powerful world.”
“I Can Only Imagine” opened in theaters on March 16.
