Ragamuffin

I love this story. It breaks the stereotype of Christian movies, most of which start with a messed up person who then meets Jesus and gets their life cleaned up. And they all lived happily ever after.

Rich Mullins was a mess. He was a mess before he met Jesus, he was a mess after he met Jesus. Maybe that was why he had such a keen understanding of grace. That's really what this movie is about. They wanted to tell the true story of Rich Mullins, as messy as it was, although I'm sure they had to clean it up some in order to get churches to show it. The in-concert monologues are mostly, if not all, taken verbatim from things Rich said during concerts. The music is well done and fitting with the story.

The movie was made on a shoestring budget, and in many ways it shows. The sound recording and mixing during interior scenes were not good (although that may have been partially due to the church where we were viewing the movie). The acting was sub-par compared to big budget movies, even from Wolfgang Bodison, who has plenty of acting experience. The sets all felt cramped and poorly utilized.

But for all its faults I think it's still worth seeing. Even if you have never heard of Rich Mullins, it's a compelling story. The movie, like Rich Mullins, can be full of faults and still have incredible redeeming value.

Rich Mullins was a broken man. A man who felt rejected by his father, and by the God that the evangelical church had presented to him. He was also extremely gifted with the ability to express his struggle through words and music. He wrote just enough praise-happy songs to get Nashville to notice and lure him to record and sell his music. But, the real Rich remained tortured by his depression, addictions, and pain. He could sing about the love of God, but struggled to accept it himself.

"Ragamuffin" is a term used by author Brennan Manning, who is also depicted in the film. The word describes one whose "deepest awareness ... is that he is deeply loved by Jesus Christ and has done nothing to earn it or deserve it." It becomes an aspiration of Mullins to grasp that reality in the midst of a Christian subculture that prides itself on it's own triumphalism. As an artist, and a person, Rich Mullins was too honest - and too broken - to claim such a victory.

That is why the message of this movie contrasts so sharply with the latest "Christian" theatrical release, "God's Not Dead." There, Christianity is painted with bold strokes of black and white with little room for the gray smudges that watercolor the Ragamuffin's life. The two films could not be more different as well in their presentation of the Christian consumerism that has created Contemporary Christian Music. "God's Not Dead" blatantly uses the Newsboys as angelic messengers of the film's tag-line. They are not even represented as "artists" but function instead as "product placement." (Willie Robertson, of Duck Dynasty, cameos offering his "celebrity endorsement" for Jesus.) This was the "Christian World" that Rich Mullins hated, and worked all his career to avoid being conformed into. It was not his home.

Many evangelical Christians will be surprised, perhaps shocked or offended, to witness just what a mess Mullins was. Like the scriptures, the movie doesn't blink in showing us his flaws. You'll see him smoking, drinking, and swearing -- all while also clearly witnessing to the truth of the gospel with both his words and deeds. For many of us, it will be too much to stomach. Mullins would not fit in among many of our church friends. But, if Jesus still welcomes the poor in spirit, the mourning, and those hungering for righteousness into his Kingdom -- then Rich should be right at home there.

I knew and met Rich several times when I was a Christian Concert Promoter. I have mourned his loss for a very long time. I agree with one reviewer who said that the film was rather dark and perhaps some of our darkness reflects in the film so that makes it darker. I do wish that there was a little more of his quick humored funniness that came out in the movie, but I think I understand why it didn't as much. For one reason, it was done through the eyes of close family. They hurt for his hurts and probably are closer to that at times. Especially when he's gone and you were unable to fix it for him. Second because so few saw the struggles he had which just increases the realness and the authenticity of how God works with us. But let me say this. He was an amazing profound and deep poet. He was a saint who related to Christ's sufferings equally to his blessings and in doing so almost always seemed to be directly dialed to him. Second, he had huge talent! Third he had a truly sacrificial heart! He was amazing! Lastly, I thought I would hate the film any way because after all who could ever be Rich ? Even pretend or act to be Rich? I enjoyed the film more than I thought I would. I think they did a good job that was one of the toughest. When you play Lincoln or George Washington. There aren't too many people around to know how they were in real life. I would say they did as good as they could and it was awesome and entertaining and moving! It even touched my life as a father to my kids. Was it as good as seeing Rich do Rich? Well, it was the next best thing, but wish I had more time with him. He was once in a life! Love you Rich! See this movie. You'll not regret it!

I'm going to get the bad out of the way. If you're hoping this movie "solves" all the problems of the so-called "Christian movie industry", it does not. It is too long by at least a half-hour, we never feel like the main character really is Mullins until almost a half-hour into the film, and it seems preachier than it needs to be, often using way too much dialog to communicate messages that filmmakers should be able to make with far less talking and far more skillful directing, acting and editing. Anachronisms abound for those who look for them (certain musical equipment and instruments appear years and years before they actually were available), the lighting seems to be an afterthought, and in many cases (as I implied earlier) paragraphs of dialog abound where lines would do.

If you think this movie is just as bad as so many Christian films (virtually all that I have seen in fact) are, you'd also be wrong. Refreshingly, this film does not sanitize the smoking, drinking, cussing (okay, maybe it eases up on the cussing, I'm okay with that), broken character that Rich apparently was. That, I found refreshing. And when Michael Koch finally "finds" the main character (or should I say, when we finally believe in him and the director finally sets the character free), he carries it well, warts (and there are many) and all. I was impressed with how Koch sings and plays the part so well (using his own voice by the way), too, right down to the occasional sloppy piano and idiosyncratic vocal stylings. The stress of growing up with such a broken father-son relationship plays a major role, as it should, and explains much of what we need to know about the character (reminded me of Johnny Cash, actually).

I was fortunate enough to meet Mullins during his too-short life, about 7 years before his death. By "meet", I don't mean shake hands after a concert, but in fact along with a small group of folks got to spend hours and hours with him talking and really getting to know each other. He was, by far, the most interesting person I have ever met. So… I am a little biased in saying that beyond the flaws in this film (again, typical of so many Christian movies, and of so much Christian music for that matter), is the story of a man who was worth knowing and knowing about, not in spite of, but partly because of his flaws. I can probably count on one hand the number of Christian songwriters who come close to Mullins' talent and transparency (even if I'm missing a finger or two), and I'm thrilled that this film might introduce some new people to his work. Even more, maybe more people will come to grips with the fact that Jesus not only doesn't mind their brokenness, but loves them right in the middle of it all.

That would thrill Rich the most.

This movie was recommended to me by a friend with whom I shared my feelings of spiritual "wandering" if you will; a believer with lots of questions and a feeling of emptiness that comes and goes. The acting was very good and the story honest. I am use to movies that lead to an obvious conclusion, however, this movie wasn't the typical countdown to an epiphanic moment. Rather, it was exactly what I needed in realizing I am not alone in my struggles for meaning. Wear comfortable clothes because this movie is a bit long.

My rating of "8" out of 10 is relative to movies of this category. This film should not be compared to Hollywood blockbusters, and justifiably so; the film is a message to each viewer who wishes to receive. The feature was not, in my opinion, made to entertain but more importantly to potentially impact your life in a far greater way than even the most popular movies ever could.

Enjoy.