As a St. Louisian, it was awesome to see places I recognized in the movie. Look, that’s downtown Maplewood! Ah, the Arch and Busch Stadium, love it! And of course, John O’Leary himself—he came to speak at my high school, so I know some of his story. It was awesome to see John’s story come to life on the big screen! I loved how John highlights all of the people who helped him along the way, demonstrating how important having a community is and how kindness can have a real lasting impact on others.

The highlights for me were the actors who played young John (James McCracken), adult John (Joel Courtney), Beth (Masey McClain), and John’s dad, Dennis (John Corbett), because they shined in these roles. They were compelling, and it felt like they were actually the person, not an actor playing them. You can tell that John Corbett is a talented and experienced actor. Also, I loved the scenes when John was in college and his love story with his wife. I thought the scenes depicting the fire and the aftermath were impactful and heart-wrenching. I definitely teared up! Finally, I enjoyed seeing John’s journey into public speaking and how he gained confidence.

My critiques would be that some of the acting at the beginning of the movie, when John is young, is a little stiff and cringey. I think the script could have been revised more to help make the beginning of the movie more believable and flow with ease. Also, I did not like the way Jack Buck was portrayed. In my opinion, he did not strike quite the right chord in the movie and the tone/messaging was somewhat off for me. From what I remember when John spoke at my high school, Jack Buck was a bit gruff and his old-school toughness pushed John to work hard to recover. It didn’t quite land right for me.

In addition, I wish the story had included more of the Catholic faith. For example, I wish they had shown the parish priest visiting John in the hospital, or John O’Leary being the Mass intention one Sunday. We see that parents praying in a chapel, but I would have liked to see a rosary or the Sign of the Cross at dinner at least. The message felt slightly hollow to me without an anchor in the Catholic faith.

Overall, I would give the movie 3.5/5 stars. I would watch it again and recommend others watch it. But it is not a new favorite or a Catholic must-watch for me.