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Breakthrough Trailer: Near-Death Experiences Enhances Family's Faith
20th Century Fox releases the first trailer and poster for Breakthrough, an inspirational film about faith, hope, and familial love.
Based on Joyce Smith’s 2017 novel The Impossible: The Miraculous Story of a Mother’s Faith and Her Child’s Resurrection, Breakthrough chronicles her trials and tribulations upon nearly losing her 14-year-old adopted son. In 2015, John Smith slipped through an icy Missouri lake and spent 15 minutes submerged in the water. After being rescued, the boy had no pulse for 45 minutes but ultimately survived, thus inspiring headlines about a “miraculous” recovery and his mother’s book about the experience. In Breakthrough, Marcel Ruiz portrays John Smith, while Chrissy Metz (This Is Us) and Josh Lucas (J. Edgar) have supporting roles as the parents. Topher Grace (BlacKkKlansman) and Dennis Haysbert (The Dark Tower) fill out the cast as John’s pastor and doctor, respectively.
20th Century Fox has released Breakthrough’s first trailer and images, with faith being the central theme. In the poster, heavily dominated by dark blues, the submerged central subject reaches towards the open surface, which doubles as spiritual light. It’s a dramatic image; one that instantaneously establishes various themes. Whereas the poster is bold and direct, the trailer organically accentuates the personal bonds that drive the narrative. In the opening shot, the boy breaks the fourth wall, which both connects him with the audience and highlights his naivete. From there, an upbeat tracks plays over expositional shots about community and human connections, complete with a “lit” reference from Grace’s Pastor John Noble. When the accident scene arrives, the tone shifts heavily as doctors explain the scientific facts to the parents. In the trailer’s second half, the community rallies behind the Smith family, and religious themes come to the forefront as the supporting characters converse about life and death.
Breakthrough is directed by Roxann Dawson, who previously helmed episodes of FX’s The Americans and Netflix’s House of Cards. She also has an extensive acting resume, most notably as B’Elanna Torres on Star Trek: Voyager. For Breakthrough, Dawson collaborated with screenwriter Grant Nieporte, the scribe behind the 2008 Will Smith Seven Pounds. Breakthrough was co-produced by DeVon Franklin, a best-selling author and motivational speaker.
While Breakthrough doesn’t necessarily have an A-list star, the accomplished supporting cast complements the polished direction and young lead. Based on the poster and first trailer, the film seems to be much more than a typical inspirational story, as there’s a distinct sense of cinematic style. Breakthrough will released in April 2019.
