Breaking Through the Self

John fights for his life

“Breaking Through the Self”

A Review of Breakthrough by Nick Olszyk

MPAA Rating, PG

USCCB Rating,  Unrated at the time of this review

Reel Rating, Three Reels             

One of my least favorite adages is “miracles happen everyday,” not because it is untrue but because it of its shallow interpretation. The sun rising is a miracle, your circulatory system is a miracle, and even your dog catching a Frisbee is a miracle. Miracles are not ordinary events; they are supernatural phenomena that God allows to remind us of the spiritual realm. If the New Testament is taken seriously, miracles are not just real but a frequent part of the Church’s ministry. James instructs the elders to pray for the sick, and they will be healed. Peter, through the name of Christ, casts out demons. Yet the point of miracles is never to show off or impress (think Simon the magician), but to bring people to Jesus Christ, the source of our salvation. Breakthrough tells the story of such a miracle that points in the right direction even if it falters in its execution.

The Smith family is in crisis. John, a Guatemalan adoptee, wants nothing to do with his family, interested only in girls, games, and other 14-year-old things. Brian, his father, is aloof and somewhat disconnected. Joyce, the protagonist and family matriarch, has serious diabetes and tries desperately to control everything around her. This includes not only her rebellious son but the church’s new pastor Jake, who abandons more mainstream Protestant hymns and prayers for a worship service that could easily be mistaken for a rock concert. He claims he would “do anything to bring in the young.” I doubt that means the traditional habit, liturgy of the hours, Eucharistic adoration, or other things that actually work.

One afternoon, John and two friends foolishly start playing on a frozen lake, and – sure enough – the ice breaks, and they fall in. His friends are recovered quickly, but John sinks and the fire department comes find him. Despite thinking it’s a “recovery, not a rescue,” one of the divers hears a strange voice directing his actions and quickly locates John’s body. After twenty minutes underwater and forty-five minutes without a pulse, John’s heart begins to slowly beat again, but the doctors keep him in a medically induced come, skeptical about his chances off the machines. Joyce disagrees. “I know my son,” she cries, “and he’s a fighter. So do your best for John and let God do the rest.”

At first, Joyce is absolutely sure God will heal John completely. However, her conviction is so strong and willful that it borders on delusion, leading to the alienation of everyone around her. When one of her friends suggests the possibility that John might not make it, Joyce growls at her, “I want no negative talk. None.” There are echoes of the prosperity gospel and the Law of Attraction in her attitude. John will survive if everyone just believes hard enough, and no one better sabotage his chances with their bad vibes. Breakthrough wisely challenges these common assumptions. Joyce is putting herself in charge of John’s life rather than giving him up to the will of the Lord.

The weight of this burden becomes so stressful that Joyce herself goes into a diabetic coma. During her recovery, she apologizes admits her vulnerability. She isn’t in control of John’s destiny. She never was. She agrees to bring John out of the coma and see what God wills. To even Joyce’s surprise, he wakes up almost immediately – without any lung or brain damage. His doctor is dumbfounded. Privately, he speaks in hushed tones to John’s parents. “I’m not supposed to use this word,” he says quietly, “but this is a miracle.” After this, the film shifts to John’s perspective and personal change. This is all new to him, and he experiences intense guilt. Why would God save me and not someone else? This is a fantastic aspect of the conversation that unfortunately is never fully explored.

The majority of life is lived in small moments, but sometimes God speaks in dramatic and unexplainable ways. A miraculous cure is a good example, but even if John were to die, God could use that experience in someone’s spiritual life as well. Peace is found in blessing God in times of both joy and sorrow, and that is the true breakthrough shown in this film.

This article first appeared in Catholic World Report on April 14th, 2019.