The original "I Can Only Imagine" was a genuine phenomenon in faith-based cinema, pulling in $83 million on a shoestring budget and proving that audiences hungry for sincere Christian storytelling would show up in droves. The sequel arrives eight years later with a bigger cast, including Milo Ventimiglia and Dennis Quaid returning in flashbacks, and a story that promises to explore what happens after the hit song, after the fame, after the mountaintop moment. Does it deliver? Mostly yes, though with enough caveats that conservative audiences should go in with clear eyes about what they're getting.

The film follows Bart Millard (John Michael Finley) at a crossroads in his career with MercyMe. He hasn't written a chart-topping song since the titular hymn, his oldest son Sam (Sammy Dell) is struggling with type 1 diabetes, and the father-son relationship is fraying under the weight of Bart's protectiveness. Milo Ventimiglia joins the story as Tim Timmons, a real-life musician who becomes an opening act for MercyMe, and whose own cancer diagnosis provides the film's emotional gut punch. The structure jumps around in time more than it needs to, sometimes feeling like the filmmakers couldn't decide which story they wanted to tell. But the core of it, a father learning to let go and trust God with his son's future, is as traditional as storytelling gets.

On the woke spectrum, this film is remarkably clean. There is no identity politics shoehorned into the narrative. No lectures about systemic injustice. The cast is diverse in the organic way that a touring band and its entourage might be, with Tamiko Robinson Steele appearing naturally in the ensemble. No box-checking, just people. The film's worldview is unapologetically Christian, with prayer presented as genuine and effective rather than performative. Faith is not deconstructed, questioned ironically, or used as a setup for a progressive punchline. This is an increasingly rare quality in mainstream cinema and deserves recognition.

That said, the film has real craft weaknesses that have nothing to do with ideology. The concert sequences run long and sometimes feel like extended music videos. The time-jumping structure can be disorienting. Dennis Quaid's flashback appearances as Bart's deceased father Arthur, while emotionally resonant, sometimes feel grafted onto a story that has moved beyond them. And Sam's diabetes subplot, while well-intentioned, occasionally veers into melodrama. To be fair, the film may be showing Bart's anxiety rather than the actual medical reality. For a father watching his kid get diagnosed, the fear is always bigger than the facts. But the emotional register sometimes tips past honest worry into territory that undercuts the story's credibility. These are craft issues, not culture war issues, and they keep the film from reaching the emotional heights of the original.

Where the film truly shines is in its treatment of suffering as a pathway to deeper faith rather than a reason to abandon it. Tim Timmons' cancer diagnosis is handled with genuine tenderness and without the saccharine resolution that plagues lesser faith-based films. The film earns its tears. Bart's journey from control freak to trusting father mirrors the spiritual arc the film is advocating, and it works because Finley plays it with enough stubbornness and flawed humanity to feel real. The marriage between Bart and Shannon (Sophie Skelton) is portrayed as genuinely loving but under real strain, which is far more compelling than the perfect-marriage fantasy some Christian films default to.

Conservative viewers can approach this one with confidence. It is exactly what it appears to be: a sincere, faith-driven sequel that celebrates family, perseverance through suffering, and trust in God's plan. It does not lecture. It does not subvert. It is not as polished or emotionally devastating as the original, but it is honest, and in 2026 that counts for a lot. This is one of the few wide-release films this year that conservative families can attend without any ideological anxiety whatsoever. Take your church group. Bring tissues.

Trope	Category	Location	Authenticity
Faith in Adversity	TRADITIONAL	Bart's faith is tested by creative drought, his son's illness, and his friend's cancer diagnosis. Prayer is shown as genuine and effective. Faith is the resolution mechanism for every major conflict in the story.	Natural
Defense of the Innocent	TRADITIONAL	Bart's protectiveness over Sam's type 1 diabetes diagnosis drives the emotional core of the film. The father-son dynamic is built around a parent desperate to shield his child from suffering.	Natural
The Self-Sacrificing Hero	TRADITIONAL	Tim Timmons continues touring, performing, and ministering despite his cancer diagnosis. He sacrifices comfort and safety to keep serving his calling.	Natural
Industry and Perseverance	TRADITIONAL	Bart pushes through a brutal creative block. MercyMe continues to tour and minister despite personal struggles piling up. The band shows up, does the work, and serves their audience even when it would be easier to stop.	Natural
Sacred Institution of Marriage	TRADITIONAL	Bart and Shannon's marriage comes under real strain from Sam's diagnosis, Bart's creative frustrations, and the pressures of life on the road. The marriage bends but does not break.	Natural
Traditional Femininity	TRADITIONAL	Shannon (Sophie Skelton) serves as supportive wife and mother navigating the family crisis alongside Bart. Her role is primarily relational: wife, mother, emotional anchor.	Natural
Wise Elder	TRADITIONAL	Dennis Quaid's flashback appearances as Arthur, Bart's deceased father, provide guidance and emotional grounding from beyond the grave. Arthur's legacy, including his past abuse and redemption from the first film, echoes as lessons for Bart's own fathering.	Natural
Restored Home	TRADITIONAL	The narrative arc drives toward family restoration through faith. Bart learns to loosen his grip, trust God with Sam's health, and repair his relationship with his son. The family unit, strained by crisis, emerges stronger.	Natural