Ragamuffin

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.

I have been following the development of this film and was disappointed when it could not achieve theatrical release. The minute it came out on DVD, I got on my bike and headed down to Walmart. I have watched it twice. There are things in the film production I can criticize, like the length of Mullins' hair in different scenes, but that is pointless. The fact is, the film drove me to Brennan Manning who I had no knowledge of. I consider the most important scenes in the film, the ones with Mullins and Manning. I actually had to go to IMDb to find out who Manning was. Since then, I have read The "Ragamuffin Gospel" and purchased two copies for friends. Rich Mullins was a messed up genius whose faith never wavered. That came through loud and clear in the film. He was not ashamed of his shortcomings and addictions. When Manning tells him God will ask only one question when you die: "Do you know how much God loves you?", I think Mullins could answer 'Yes,' despite his problems. This is a film that inspires the viewer to look deeper into the subject matter, and for that single reason, it is a success. For that single reason, you need to watch this film despite its flaws.

This is a very powerful and gripping movie about the life of Rich Mullins. It is not just another "life story" about a famous person. It not only shows Rich's life but it ministers to all who see it. It not only brought tears to my eyes throughout the movie, but to the people throughout the church at that showing. I would recommend everyone to see this movie because it brings you to the realization that God loves all of us, even though we are not perfect. It is definitely a must see, powerful,inspiring, enlightening, and ministering movie for Christians and non-Christians alike. If you only purchase one DVD this year, it should be 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.

The storyline is simple enough – the life of Rich Mullins. He is the author of the song "Awesome God" as well as hundreds of others. He was part of a resurgence of contemporary Christian music movement in the 80′s and 90′s - a culture he would come to hate and leave. The film documents his struggles with his faith, addictions and insecurities while his songs were some of the most popular in the world of contemporary Christian music.

If you are looking for a nice, neat film with a simple conflict/resolution arch of a story – Ragamuffin isn't for you. Ragamuffin is a dark, brooding film that exposes the insecurity and grit of Rich Mullins' faith. It's messy. It doesn't resolve. It's redemptive and agonizing. All of which I think is authentic to Rich as well as his God.

The acting and cinematography are top shelf. Michael Koch delivers an incredible performance of being true to Rich's eccentric, authentic faith without pushing the performance into a sappy mess of emotion.

The movie has it all - great acting, great filming, and great storytelling. Highly recommend it.

And stay for the credits for real footage of Rich.