As a huge admirer of Rich Mullins music I was excited, but skeptical upon hearing a movie was being made about his life. Sceptical because Christian produced movies are nowhere near the quality of "Hollywood" movies. Mullin's music can, and does hold it's own alongside mainstream music. Would Ragamuffin be able to rise above the cheesy, fluffy, second rate production associated with most Christian movies? Well, the answer is yes, yes, and no. The movies is not cheesy, the story is compelling and believable. Most important the story is interesting. The movie id not fluffy. The really is conflict and struggle. Unfortunately the production values range from above average to pretty bad. Acting by a few major characters is not good. Tom Koch, the actor portraying Rich doe a good job, but he never seems to nail the sharp wit that Rich possessed. The wig he wears throughout most of the film is also unconvincing. The movie is better than say, Coureagous or Fireproof but nowhere near the level of The Buddy Holly Story. Rich Mullins music was better than this movie would have you believe. He played bigger shows than those represented in the movie. This film was clearly made with love for Rich, but the production values are never in league with the man the film depicts.
Review of Ragamuffin
