REEL FACE: | REAL FACE: |
J. Michael Finley
Birthplace: Jonesboro, Arkansas, USA | Bart Millard
Born: December 1, 1972 Birthplace: Greenville, Texas, USA |
Brody Rose
| Bart Millard (young)
|
Dennis Quaid
Born: April 9, 1954 Birthplace: Houston, Texas, USA | Arthur Millard
Born: November 26, 1942 Birthplace: Greenville, Texas, USA Death: November 11, 1991, Greenville, Texas, USA (pancreatic cancer) Bart Millard's father |
Madeline Carroll
Born: March 18, 1996 Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, USA | Shannon Street
Born: November 1, 1974 Birthplace: Dallas, Texas, USA Bart Millard's girlfriend and future wife (pictured in 1990) |
Trace Adkins
Born: January 13, 1962 Birthplace: Springhill, Louisiana, USA | Scott Brickell
MercyMe's manager |
Nicole DuPort
Born: May 17, 1980 Birthplace: Santa Rosa, California, USA | Amy Grant
Born: November 25, 1960 Birthplace: Augusta, Georgia, USA Christian and pop singer |
Tanya Clarke
Born: February 2, 1972 Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, USA | Adele Millard
Bart's mom |
No. The I Can Only Imagine true story reveals that Bart's parents divorced when he was just three years old. According to Bart, his mother always said, "I married a teddy bear but went home with a monster" (Billboard). Unlike what is seen in the movie, Bart lived with his mother up until the third grade. It was then that his mother chose to move away with her third husband. It was decided that it would be best for Bart and his older brother Stephen to stay with their father, Arthur (People). Bart's brother Stephen (pictured below) is absent from the movie.
Yes. He was an All-American football star who played for Southern Methodist University, but he hurt his knee around his sophomore year, which restricted his playing time. "He got homesick, ended up going home, and married my mom," says Bart. He took a job with the Department of Transportation as a flag waver on construction sites. In addition to his head injury from being struck by a truck on the job, the family doctor always felt that getting hit hard playing football since he was five also contributed to the likely frontal lobe injury. -Catholic Digest
No. His father didn't drink or use drugs. It was his short temper and tendency to take out his frustrations on his son that was at the root of the abuse. "If he got embarrassed or cut off in traffic or whatever, he would take a swing at me," Bart recalls. "I was like his punching bag" (People). On occasion, he would beat Bart if the Dallas Cowboys lost. The beatings happened as often as three or four times per week, which left Bart in constant fear (The Tennessean).
Yes. "My wife, [Shannon], was my first girlfriend in 8th grade. She's a huge part of my story," Millard wrote on Twitter in January 2017.
Yes. The I Can Only Imagine true story confirms that Bart's grandmother (Memaw) came up with the name for the band. When he told her he was going to be a singer, she replied, "Mercy me."
Arthur Millard was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at age 44, during Bart's freshman year in high school.
Yes, but it was how much Bart's dad had changed after finding religion that allowed Bart to see him in a new light. "I got a front row seat to see this guy go from being a monster to falling desperately in love with Jesus," Bart says. -People.com
Yes. "It's literally changed the trajectory of my life," Bart said while speaking of his father finding God. Seeing how much it changed his dad helped Bart to discover his own faith. It guided his life, his music, and the choices he's made since. "I guess I grew up thinking that if the Gospel could change that guy, it could change anybody. There was no denying it" (People). As emphasized in the movie, Millard says that his dad "went from a monster to the guy I wanted to be like when I grew up" (CatholicDigest.com).
Yes. Though it's not shown in the movie, Bart's mother and father reconciled before his father died. "She was there when he passed away," says Bart. -Catholic Digest
"My dad was diagnosed with cancer my freshman year of high school," says Bart. He passed away almost five years later on November 11, 1991, a few months after Bart's graduation. Bart was 19 at the time. "The movie made it look like it all happened in my junior and senior year of high school." -Catholic Digest
Yes. Arthur set it up so that when he passed, his son would get $600 a month for 10 years so that he could chase his dreams. Bart received the final check the same week that "I Can Only Imagine" reached No. 1 on Christian radio charts. -The Tennessean
The film heightens the drama here a bit. Like in the movie, Bart did give Amy Grant the rights to record the "I Can Only Imagine" song. She knew that it would be a career maker and decided she wanted him to release it. However, she didn't tell Bart by having a sudden change of heart while on stage at a concert. She notified him prior to a scheduled performance at a showcase. She gave the song back to him and asked him if he would perform it with her at the event. -Contagious Encouragement
Expand on what you know about the true story behind the I Can Only Imagine movie by watching the videos below, including an interview with Bart Millard and the music video for the song.