A Review of Lifemark by Nick Olszyk
Distribution Service: Theatrical (Fathom Events)
MPAA Rating, PG-13
CNS Rating, Unrated at the Time of This Review
Reel Rating, One Reel
Disclaimer: Spoilers Ahead
Lifemark
is the latest offer from Christian independent filmmaking legends the Kendrick
Brothers. While their record hasn’t always been stellar, they have made some of
the best
films of the last decade. This…is not one. The film’s inspiration is a
compelling story and deserves a much better adaptation.
David
(Raphael Ruggero) is a high school wrestler with a bright future until it is
cut short by a mysterious terminal illness that seems to be an important plot
point but is never mentioned again, a bizarre throwaway not seen since The Room. Without much
prospects, David turns his attention to another project. As an adopted child,
he gains the legal right on his 18th birthday to contact his birth
parents. David is unsure, but his dad Jimmy (perennial Kendrick favorite Kirk
Cameron) encourages him to make the call. What occurs over the next ninety
minutes is slow and predictable. There’s a lot of back and forth as David first
contacts his birth mom Melissa (Dawn Long) and they eventually meet. His birth father
Brian (Lowry Brown) is more hesitant but eventually meets him as well. The
hidden twist that will surprise no one is that Melissa had planned to abort
David, even going as far as sitting on the doctor’s exam table before she decided
against the procedure.
Christian
filmmaking plays an important role in modern cinema, so before trashing Lifemark
for its lackluster quality, it would be charitable to look at its relevant themes.
There’s a narrative in American culture that abortion is not only easier but preferable
to putting another child in the foster system. Lifemark, and real life,
clearly demonstrate this is not the case. David is living proof of this. So is
my sister. Adoption is a beautiful affirmation of the dignity of the child despite
difficult circumstances.
Despite
its best intentions, Lifemark is easily the worst pro-life movie ever
made. The narrative presents no stakes whatsoever. Although they seem eager, David’s
adoptive parents are fine with whatever he decides. While the meetings are a little
awkward, everyone is kind and understanding. All the families involved are
wealthy with emotionally stable relationships. My personal favorite was the
moment when Brian reveals to his current wife that he previously had a child
with his high school sweetheart. This is apparently this first time he has told
her, yet she doesn’t show an ounce of anger or even surprise. I laughed many
times throughout the film, never for the right reasons.
The
dialogue is incredibly boring with scenes that continue with no end in sight, reminding
me of some the worst MST3K fare. Worst still, in a misguided attempt at comedy,
the entire story is being recorded by David’s annoying friend making a documentary
for a school project. I could go on. There’s cheesy acting, stereotypical
score, and terrible de-aging CGI. You get the idea.
There
have been some fantastic pro-life films in the last twenty years, Unplanned
being the
best. Despite its poor quality, the true story is quite moving. In a recent
interview with Matt Walsh, Kirk
Cameron revealed that rather than writing dialogue for the screenplay, they
simply transcribed interviews of David and Melissa’s conservations. That explains
a lot. Being true to the source material is important but so are the
conventions of the medium. David deserved better.
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