Breakthrough is an inspiring and eventful movie based on a true story and although it was made about five years ago, I still believe that it’s severely underrated. The faith and hope throughout the movie keeps me interested to see what’s going to happen next.
The movie takes place in Lake St. Louis, Missouri and John Smith (Marcel Ruiz) is the main character who was adopted at a young age and aspires to be in the National Basketball Association (NBA). John isn’t close with his adopted mother and is often a quiet kid that refuses to open up while also doing poorly in school. My favorite part of the movie is when John gets bullied but then quickly silences everyone after showcasing his basketball skills which really propelled his life.
My favorite character has to be Joyce Smith (Chrissy Metz) who plays John’s mother in the movie. She always has a positive attitude and shows John unconditional love even when he pushes her away. She has a caring and resilient personality that fits the plot of the movie well. In my opinion, John feels unwanted after his biological parents put him up for adoption but Joyce does the best she can to make him feel loved.
The fact that Breakthrough is based on a real story makes the movie even better, after watching I felt inspired and it makes you believe that anything is possible. All the actors in this movie play their roles perfectly in my opinion and the director, Roxann Dawson, does a great job of making the movie entertaining by adding subtle but key scenes.
In Breakthrough if I were to pick a protagonist it’d be John Smith, because the movie is based on his story and what he went through. From the beginning to the end of the story, he’s a completely different person. His attitude towards Joyce and his classmates is more positive than it’s ever been and that’s why he’s the protagonist in my eyes.
It’s tough to pick an antagonist because nobody really rivals John but if I had to pick anyone I’d say the kids that bullied John are the closest to antagonists. Throughout the movie the bullies never leave John alone and are constantly teasing him whether it’s about his adoption or basketball. However, the bullies in this movie helped shape John into a better and more confident person towards the end.
The overall theme of this movie is hope. John goes through a lot during his childhood and it gets even harder for him when he enters high school but Joyce never loses hope that she can one day make her son happy and grateful to have a family. John can be relatable to some high school students in a similar position as him and can give others hope after he shows his resilience throughout the movie.
Breakthrough has one of the best storylines of all time and it can teach valuable life lessons like hope and perseverance which is why Breakthrough is underrated and still one of the best movies out there.