7/10 - regardless of my religious views, I am a sucker for a true story - that being said, some elements of the true story came off as corny in this film adaptation (not to mention how irritating Chrissy Metz's character got by the end of the film (trying to outsmart the doctors, blatant disrespect of all, etc.) that it got hard to empathize for her)

"Breakthrough" tells the miraculous story of John Smith, a boy who survived a fall into icy water in St. Charles, Missouri, and was actually declared deceased in the emergency room. Led by his devoted mother, Joyce, the community rallies around John in his remarkable recovery.

John was originally from Guatemala and was adopted by the Smith family. He was a dynamic basketball player for the Eagles of the Water of Life Middle School. The film's good production values and the sincere performances relate John's story with integrity.

The tower of strength in the film is the mother character. It was a superb performance in which every note rang true. It was Joyce who spoke the line that is the theme of this Christian-based film: "Love is the Most Powerful Force on This Earth." The empathy radiated by this woman infected the community. It also clearly played a role in her son's survival.

The secondary roles were interesting, including the caring medical staff, Pastor Jason, schoolmates, and, above all, the member of the rescue team, Tommy Shine, who pulled John out of the lake. The film was successful in juggling the religious values with basic human decency from individuals like Tommy.

This was a moving and thoughtful film that offered a refreshing and important message about human compassion and love.

Breakthrough is an uplifting movie, which makes it almost impossible to dislike. However, even though the true story is miraculous, the way the film unfolds is pretty predictable, and the acting is hit-and-miss. It could have also been a little shorter. Nevertheless, I found myself caught up in the plot a number of times and was impressed with the quality of the filmmaking.