‘Breakthrough’ a tale of redemption
Breakthrough Rated: PG for thematic content including peril. Running time: 116 minutes. 666 out of 4
“Breakthrough” might be the first faith-based Hollywood film with genuine crossover appeal.
Perhaps it’s the inspiring true story, or the excellent cast, or the skilled direction by Roxann Dawson, but it is surprisingly effective even for skeptics. That’s partly because the film gives proper reverence to the medical science that was crucial in reviving the boy, but partly because you become invested in its characters.
This is not a Lifetime movie with a bigger budget, but a thoughtful, albeit conventional film that tackles a lot of issues, not all of them religious.
“Breakthrough” is based on the true story of John Smith, a 14-year-old boy in St. Joseph, Mo., who fell through a frozen lake on Martin Luther King Day in 2015, was fished out unresponsive by paramedics after 15 minutes underwater, and days later came out of a coma, all brain functions intact.
The family identifies as evangelical Christian, and his mother in particular constantly prayed over his body. Thus, John’s revival is considered a miracle in that world, and the incident was the subject of a best-selling Christian book “The Impossible: The Miraculous Story of a Mother’s Faith and Her Child’s Resurrection,” upon which Grant Nieporte based his script.
But the heroic work of first responders and the skills of doctors also are front and center.
John (Marcel Ruiz) is a self-absorbed high school student who is highly annoyed by his parents Joyce (Chrissy Metz of the TV series “This Is Us”) and Brian (Josh Lucas). In other words, a normal teenager. He is the point guard on his high school basketball team, and Stephen Curry (who executive produced) and Michael Jordan are his heroes. John is a really good basketball player, and unfortunately he knows it; he’ll often ignore his coach’s play-calling and freelances to get his own shot.
Schoolwork isn’t that important to him, and he barely tolerates the familymandated weekly church services. It’s truly all about him, and getting two friends to walk across a frozen pond is part of that I'm-young-nothingcan-kill me bravado. But when the ice cracks, everything changes.
Paramedics get there within minutes, and John’s friends make it out safely. John, though, disappears beneath the surface. Using a retrieval hook, paramedic Tommie (Mike Colter, star of Netflix’s Marvel series “Luke Cage”) latches onto John’s body and pulls him up. Despite life-saving techniques, 30 minutes later doctors pronounce him dead at a hospital.
Joyce, wailing and praying, pleads for her son’s life. Suddenly, there is a pulse.
Hours later, he is airlifted to a hospital in St. Louis, where Dr. Garrett (Dennis Haysbert), an expert in treating drowning victims, puts him into an induced coma. He cautions, though, that John may well never wake up, and if he does, the likely outcome is severe brain damage.
The bedside vigil begins. Joyce practically never leaves John’s side. She is joined, surprisingly, by the new pastor of her church, Jason (Topher Grace), whom she can’t stand. Down the hall is Brian, who can’t bring himself to see his son in his current condition, and is beginning to lose his faith. At school, a social media campaign to encourage thoughts and prayers goes viral. TV and newspapers cover the story.
The story is well-told, but what makes it interesting is that each character confronts his or her own crisis — even Tommie, the paramedic who rescued him. It also drives home the point that a seemingly small tragic event can affect an entire community.
“Breakthrough,” then, isn’t necessarily about a miracle, but about redemption and finding your peace and fulfillment in a chaotic world.