Jimmy (2013)

Ian Colletti never goes full retard in the Christian family flick Jimmy (2013).

At a glance:

Mark Freiburger's family drama Jimmy (2013) is an adaptation of Robert Whitlow's 2006 book about an autistic kid (Ian Colletti) with an issue or two, like acute aquaphobia and the leisurely propensity to see and talk to angels. He doesn't always understand what he sees and hears, but he remembers it all with uncanny accuracy, which is why his lawyer father asks him to testify in a crucial trial in defence of a ne'er-do-well who happens to be a victim of procedural improprieties by the police. Jimmy's testimony saves the man from jail but the consequences play out as a moral fable of sorts.

Bad news on the doorstep:

While definitely sidestepping the heavy-handed approach so often the bane of most faith-based North American family flicks, Jimmy is structurally a telemovie and would make for bible study group screenings faster than it would commission an okay from someone who paid full price for the DVD looking for a family feature. The voluminous events in the book don't always get the proper pacing or focus that would make the narrative more sprightly. If this fell to more ambitious hands, we could feel like we did in K-Pax (2001) or Powder (1995). As it is, we simply have to respect it as a product that's marketed to the religious.

Ted Levine has a decent run-out as an ailing granddad.

Reminds me of:

Oh I can't think of some right now but they all have a kid with a terminal disease.

I can't remember if I cried:

The disappointing stock music doesn't allow it.

Amacam joker, berapa bintang lu mau kasi?

I appreciate and the titular performance and I like the message. Gary Wheeler and Robert Whitlow can carry on with more collaborations.★★1/2
Bonus material:

Whoever supplied this as a movie still needs to be sacked.