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I Still Believe is a 2020 American Christian romantic drama film directed by the Erwin brothers and starring KJ Apa, Britt Robertson, Shania Twain, Melissa Roxburgh, and Gary Sinise. It is based on the life of American contemporary Christian music singer-songwriter Jeremy Camp and his first wife, Melissa Lynn Henning-Camp, who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer shortly before they married. Camp's song "I Still Believe" is the film's namesake. The film is the first production by Kingdom Story Company, the Erwin Brothers' fifth feature film, and their second to be released under the Lionsgate banner. It premiered at ArcLight Hollywood on March 7, 2020, and was theatrically released in the United States on March 13, 2020. It received mixed reviews from critics, who commended the film for depicting faith in the midst of suffering, but criticized the plot and characters. Lionsgate released the film to video on demand on March 27, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Plot In Lafayette, Indiana, in September 1999, Jeremy Camp departs for Calvary Chapel College in Murrieta, California. The night of his arrival, he goes to a concert of Canadian Christian band, the Kry, where he meets the lead singer, Jean-Luc LaJoie, who becomes fast friends with Jeremy, who turns to him for musical advice. After the concert, Jeremy meets Melissa Henning, a fellow student at his school, and friend of Jean-Luc, who loves Melissa, but she does not feel the same. Jeremy and Melissa get to know each other, and quickly begin dating, causing a rift among the three. As a result, Melissa ends her relationship with Jeremy. Jeremy goes back to his family's home in Indiana for Christmas break. A few days after Christmas, he receives a phone call from Jean-Luc, saying that Melissa is sick, and asks Jeremy to come back to California. Upon his arrival, Jeremy visits Melissa in the hospital, who tells him that she has been diagnosed with Stage 3C ovarian cancer spread to her liver. She also tells Jeremy that she loves him. He says the same, proposes and Melissa accepts. During this time, Jeremy begins to make a name for himself as a Christian singer-songwriter. At one point, when Melissa is about to have an MRI. Melissa learns that the cancer has spread to her ovaries, so she needs a hysterectomy. She wakes up to Jeremy after the surgery was supposed to happen, who tells her the surgery was canceled as she is now cancer-free. Six months later, Jeremy and Melissa marry. Everything seems perfect until after their honeymoon, until she wakes up in pain. Jeremy takes her to the hospital, where they find out her cancer has returned, and that nothing more can be done for her. As Melissa grows weaker, Jeremy begins to question his faith in God. In the hospital, Jeremy sings a song he wrote ("Walk by Faith") during their honeymoon. Melissa passes shortly after. Jeremy becomes angry at God, and chooses to abandon his musical career, smashing his guitar until it breaks. Inside the guitar, Jeremy finds a note Melissa left for him to find after her death, telling him that suffering does not damage faith, but strengthens it. Her parting words encourage him to continue writing songs. Two years later, Jeremy performs a song he wrote after Melissa's death ("I Still Believe") about his suffering, but eventually restored faith. After the concert, he meets a woman named Adrienne, who tells Jeremy that she lost someone close to her, and she was angry at God, and his songs changed her life. Jeremy promises to share Melissa's story, believing that God will use it to change lives. The credits reveal that Jeremy and Adrienne got married in 2003, and have three children. Cast Production The film is the first project of a deal struck between the Erwin Brothers and Lionsgate after the success of their film I Can Only Imagine in 2018. It is also the first film produced by Kingdom Story Company, a film studio founded by the Erwin Brothers, Kevin Downes, and Tony Young, and the Erwin Brothers' second music biopic after I Can Only Imagine. Jeremy Camp was actively involved in the production of the film, while singer-songwriter Bart Millard of MercyMe (whose life story was told in the Erwin Brothers' I Can Only Imagine) acted as an executive producer, along with Camp, Jon Gunn, and others. Casting KJ Apa was announced as the star of the film, playing Camp, and Gary Sinise was announced for the role of Camp's father, at CinemaCon in April 2019. That same month it was announced that Britt Robertson would co-star as Melissa Camp, joined by Shania Twain as Camp's mother, Melissa Roxburgh as Melissa's sister, and Nathan Parsons as Jean-Luc Lajoie, lead singer for the band The Kry, a mutual friend. Apa, who did his own singing for the film, said he was drawn to the story because "[t]heir love is seriously put to the test in this movie," adding, "it's about journeying through your biggest fears and disappointments and coming out still believing. I believe that anyone, everyone can relate to this film because it's a story about love, loss, and hope." Apa later related that his role in I Still Believe is "the coolest thing I've ever done". Co-director Andrew Erwin related that he hoped the cast, particularly Apa and Robertson, would attract non-Christians in addition to a Christian audience. Music Composer John Debney was hired to write the score for the film, while KJ Apa sang his own renditions of several songs written by Jeremy Camp during the period of his life accounted in the film, including "I Still Believe", "Walk by Faith", and "This Man". I Still Believe is John Debney's third time composing the score for a Christian film, after The Passion of the Christ in 2004 and The Young Messiah in 2016. Writing Jon Erwin, Jon Gunn, and Madeline Carroll (who starred in I Can Only Imagine) wrote the screenplay for I Still Believe. Filming Filming began in the Mobile, Alabama area in May 2019, where it was filmed entirely. The film's cinematographer, Kristopher Kimlin, had collaborated with the Erwin Brothers on their past productions, Moms' Night Out, Woodlawn, and I Can Only Imagine. Theme Regarding the film's main theme, Jeremy Camp, on whose life the film is based, said that it "tells my story and shares what God has done amidst all the hard things I went through. It shows hope in the midst of pain." The film's stars, Apa, Robertson and Twain, also shared their thoughts on the film's themes, with Twain commenting that "[t]his is [about] a love that goes beyond fear, that goes beyond any doubt[.]" Apa said that it's [about] journeying through your biggest fear and coming out on the other side and still loving God ... I hope people, after seeing the love between Jeremy and Melissa, think, 'I hope that I could one day be in love like that[.] I Still Believe's co-director, Jon Erwin, said in an interview with the Baptist Press that [the] film grapples with [the question of why God allows suffering.] ... I think we forget so many times tha.... Discover the Megan Basham popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Megan Basham books.