#Pen shows up on screen for the first time and I am immediately overcome with L U S T

[majorpepperidge]

playing thru on Yet Another File (because I still want to play my sillay junkfood game because i enjoy the world and characters its just The Writing Can Be A Choice) is dangerous because I see this man and feel like this

[bjy-on-ao3]

Fic Friday: Lip Service

(As usual, you can find the AO3 version of all my uploads [and some things I don’t post here to tumblr] via my Masterlist blog page.)

Today we’ve got an anonymous request! (If you’d like to make a request, see my Request blog page)This gave me an excuse to write a position I’ve been thinking about on and off for a while now, so I’m very glad about that. I’m not huge into AU stuff, BUT I am down for power dynamics and this has that. Initially dubious consent, though that turns pretty quick. 

Tags/Warnings Office AU, Face-F*cking, Oral S*x, Mildly Dubious Consent, Degradation, Misogyny, Dirty Talk, Deepthroating, Throat Bulge, Finger Sucking, Come Swallowing

Summary Reader’s innocent work habit gets Adachi riled up. He decides it's only fair of them to fix the issue for him.

Lip Service (F!Reader/Tohru Adachi)

He couldn’t even slack off much thanks to the number of reports he had to write on the state of the office, day in and day out. Each morning he arrived at the office sullen and spiteful and prepared for a day of abject boredom. A day filled with tedium that only served to make him crabbier as time wore on. Then, on the off chance he had to touch base with corporate or some other call he had to put on a cheery attitude and bottle up his frustration for who knew how long.

He glanced at the clock on the wall boredly, sighing again dramatically, noting there was quite some time left before his shift ended. A new noise interrupted the ticking of the clock - an erratic scratching of sorts - and his eyes snapped to the source, the sound grating on his already worn nerves.

Ah, right, not everyone got to work from home. You were stuck in the office, too, company to his misery, filling out reports and whatever-the-fuck else in through more traditional mediums. He couldn’t exactly recall all of what you did around the office, but it was important enough that you had to suffer with him in person. Outwardly you didn’t seem nearly as discontent.

Your head was turned down, focused on whatever you scrawled across the form on the desk. From time to time you paused, tapping the end of the pen on the desk as you considered what to write next. You were oblivious to the narrowed gaze leveled on you, absorbed in your task. Adachi started to look away and return to the tedium of finishing whatever corporate schlock was required of him when another motion caught his eye.

You raised the end of the pen to your lips, looking exceptionally stuck on something, mouth pursed and brow crinkling. Absentmindedly, you pressed down on your bottom lip with the pen, barely tugging it down and exposing the wet pink interior. You trailed the tip along your lip, lost in thought.

Adachi couldn’t take his eyes off the small movement, swallowing a lump in his throat while you stared down at the page. Immediately he was overcome with thoughts of replacing the pen on your lip with something much more fun and his slacks felt suddenly more constricting.

Things didn’t get any easier for him either as you continued to work through whatever roadblock preoccupied you. You slipped the pen past your lips and into your mouth. You sucked at the writing implement vacantly, and the tightness in Adachi’s pants became even more restrictive. His throat felt dry and he debated leaving to the restroom to relieve himself.

But another thought crossed his mind as he watched you continue to more or less fellate the pen in your hand. Why should he have to go take care of himself when you were so obviously tormenting him? He watched a quick flash of your tongue roll along the pen through the slight part of your lips. You should be the one to fix it. It was the least you could do for acting like such a tease. Adachi rose from his desk quickly, the rolling of the wheels of his chair loud on the tile, and made his way toward your desk.

You looked up, eyes wide in surprise at finding him unexpectedly standing beside your desk. You hadn’t bothered to remove the pen from your mouth when you peered up at him. Your lips rounded into an ‘oh’ as you realized, and you quickly plucked the pen from your mouth and sat up straight in your chair. “Is there something I can do for you, sir?” You questioned innocently, though something about the way he was looking at you made a chill run down your spine.

His eyes at first had been fixed on your lips, watching intently as you pulled the pen away and how your lips parted. You were used to Adachi seeming a bit bent out of shape about being stuck in the office since the changes, often just looking rather bored, but this was something different entirely. Something hard and intense shone in his eyes, an inkling of something else you couldn’t quite place, and his mouth was a crooked line, lifting in one corner to show the barest flash of teeth. You weren’t sure if you liked the look or should feel afraid. Or both.

“Adachi, sir?” You tried again tentatively, settling on confusion as the appropriate response.

His attention snapped up from your lips and he met your eyes glaringly. “Yeah, you can explain what you think you’re doing acting like such a whore when you should be working,” he spat, hands coming to rest on your desk.

Startled and mortified by his choice of words, you sat ramrod straight against the back of your chair, your previous look of confusion wiped away by shock. “S-sir? I don’t understand. I am working,” you argued, your voice cracking as you squashed down the surprise.

A condescending half-sneer met your answer, wholly in disbelief of your honest answer. “Oh yeah? Looked more like you were trying to get my attention.”

‘Acting like such a whore’, ‘trying to get my attention’. You rolled the words around for a moment. What did he mean? You glanced down fleetingly at the pen in your hand and thought back to the way Adachi’s eyes had fixed on your lips so hotly. Oh. So used to the habit, you hardly thought about what you had been doing or how it might be misconstrued. “Oh! It’s not what it looked like, I swear, sir! I just-”

“Well, you wanted my attention, now you’ve got it,” Adachi cut you off before you could explain. He bent forward, leaning on his hands, and your breath hitched in your throat, a hot rush creeping over your cheeks.

“Sir, I... I don’t think this is appropriate.”

“ I get to decide what’s appropriate. You don’t want me to have to report you for disciplinary action, do you?” He reprimanded, his voice dropping into something cynical and taunting.

You shook your head slowly. “No, sir, but-” You tried again to protest, held back by nerves more than lack of appeal.

“Save it,” Adachi commanded. “I don’t want to hear any more excuses.” The argument was effectively over, leaving no room for you to justify your claim. You just nodded mutely, waiting for him to continue. “You’re gonna make up for doing this to me,” he said, gesturing with a nod of his chin downward,

You followed the gesture, coming to rest on the crotch of his work slacks, Even beneath the dark fabric, you could make out the tent in his pants, the main source of his current irritable attitude. So surprised by how he had approached your deck, blindsiding you with the accusations of lewd behavior, you hadn’t even noticed before. You opened your mouth to speak, but nothing came out, voice stolen by the conflicting sense of nervousness and burgeoning arousal at unintentionally making your boss so horny.

”Yes,” you finally answered, sounding breathless and quiet.

“Yes, what?” The sneer was gone. Replaced again by that predatory, slanted grin from before.

“Yes, sir, I’ll make it up to you. However I can!” You promised, finding the full force of your voice and pushing away the nerves and shame, leaving the arousal to fill their void.

“Good. That’s what I wanted to hear,” he said, reaching out with one hand.

You weren’t sure what you expected him to do next - or what he expected you to do - so you watched and waited. His fingers brushed over your lips, thumb skating along the bottom almost delicately and pulling it down as you had unintentionally done with the pen before. You let him prise open your mouth easily with his thumb. Two fingers followed in its wake, shoved crudely into your mouth and running over your tongue.

You obliged his touch immediately, laving your tongue against the digits and closing your mouth to suck on them gingerly. He seemed content for a time to let you suck on his fingers, hollowing your cheeks and wriggling your tongue as he pumped them in and out of your mouth languidly. You were suspicious of how slowly and softly his hand moved. With the venom in his voice from before, you had a feeling it was just a pretense to lull you into a false sense of calm.

Your suspicions were confirmed when all air of softness vanished and the thrust of his fingers roughened, pushing deeper into your mouth until they were nearly gagging you. You tried to quell the urge, feeling tears bead in the corners of your eyes and a bit of drool escape your mouth, coating your lips and dribbling down your chin. With a particularly rough jab of his fingers, pressing down harshly on your tongue, you lost the battle to the reflex, throat spasming around his fingers. Your eyes rounded again, suppressing the swell of panic and trying to reign your throat back into line.

Adachi was well aware of the slip in your control, grinning wickedly, derisively down at you, still supporting himself on one splayed hand. “What’s the matter? I’d have thought a slut like you would be used to this sort of thing,” he mocked, not bothering to give you time to recover, enjoying the twist of your face as he finger-fucked your mouth more roughly.

You met his gaze, swirling hotly with lust and what could only be described as a sadistic glint at your distress. His callousness and mockery should have made you want to flee, but it only made the place between your thighs pulse with wetness and heat.

“Better get it together, sweetheart,” he chided as your throat shivered around his fingers again, “I’m not gonna be gentle like this for very long.”

If your mouth were free, you would have laughed at his words. ‘Gentle’ he said as if he wasn’t trying to ram his fingers down your throat while you struggled not to choke. Instead, a strangled moan slipped through your lips despite the strain not to gag, muffled on his fingers. The pulse between your legs only beat stronger, along with your heart, at the notion he had a mind to be much rougher with you - that this was just the beginning.

The longer Adachi subjected your mouth and throat to such brutal treatment, the quicker you adapted, finally working out a rhythm that let you control your gag reflex better, while still offering him whatever it was he was after. The welling tears had since burst, streaking down your cheeks in hot stains and dripping onto the desk. Your chin and lips were thoroughly slicked with saliva and your eyelids sank, leaving your gaze half-hooded and hazy.

“That’s better,” Adachi praised, though his lust-tinged tone was still sharp and cynical. “Mm, fuck those lips are gonna look so good wrapped around my dick.”

Ignoring the discomfort Adachi’s treatment brought you - or perhaps just becoming more numb to it by that point - you found were rather enjoying it. Enjoying the lusty expression of manic satisfaction and razor-sharp focus on his face. More and more muted moans rolled up your throat. Your arousal seemed to peak with each muffled obscene noise and the filthy words Adachi spat at you.

“You’ve had enough time to warm up,” Adachi decided. He pulled his fingers from your mouth smoothly, a long ribbon of drool hanging in the air lewdly before snapping. His fingers glistened with your saliva for a moment until he wiped it away on the collar of your shirt and straightened up. “On your back,” he ordered with a thrust of his chin, his hands moving to his belt buckle.

“Yes, Adachi, sir.”

You obeyed, taking the chance to catch some of the breath you had been starved of while he gagged you, throat already stinging from the abuse of his fingers alone. A kind of nervous excitement made you shudder as you lay across the desk on your back, your head hanging off the edge. Your vision turned upside down, you had a front-row seat to Adachi unbuckling his belt and unfastening his pants. He eased out his aching cock, already sporting a thick pearl of pre-cum at the tip.

Unconsciously you licked your lips, teasing your lower lip between your teeth for an instant at your new perspective. Your hunger surged, mouth watering at the sight of his cock hanging so close, despite the ache in your throat. Close enough the smell of sweat and salt and musk filled your nose.

“Look at this. All your fault for being so slutty when I’ve got no choice but to be stuck here with you,” Adachi shamed nastily.

He pumped his hand over his dick, swiping his finger over the head and gathering the pre-cum there before stuffing it into your mouth. You sucked greedily, the bitter taste bursting over your tongue along with the salt of his skin. You hummed low in your throat, twining your tongue around his finger before he withdrew it.

“What do you have to say for yourself?”

You didn’t hesitate, horny and craving a better taste of him. A taste that was so close you could have stretched out your tongue and taken it without waiting for his demand. “I’ve been such a slut, sir. I’m sorry. Please, please let me make it up to you. I promise I’ll be good,” you pleaded, hushed and breathy.

Adachi smirked down at you, marveling at how fast you had gone from timid and uncertain to begging for his cock. He should have known you got off on being treated like a worthless little whore. “Oh, you will. Or I’ll just punish you until you learn to behave,” he promised. “Now, open that whore mouth of yours.”

Again you complied, opening your mouth wide and waiting, your breath puffing warm and inviting over his skin. A barely noticeable shudder rolled through Adachi as he took your jaw in one hand, guiding the swollen head of his erection to your mouth. Pressing forward, Adachi groaned as the sensation of your mouth engulfed him. You swiped your tongue along his cock as he sank deeper, still eager to taste him. He didn’t stop until every last inch of him had disappeared. “So fucking hot,” he growled, his head falling back with a groan for a moment.

He stayed that way, hilted in your throat, while you waited, sucking and rolling your tongue over him, breath held until he retreated. Again you strained not to gag, his cock much harder to manage than his fingers. The angle allowed him to reach deeper, your prone position reducing you to the perfect cock sleeve for him to fuck He drew back until only the head of his cock lay heavy on your lips. You inhaled deeply in anticipation of his hips driving forward again and his length filling your throat.

He didn’t leave you waiting long, rocking his hips and choking you again on his dick, groaning and grunting as he set a steady, rough pace. He fucked your throat without mercy, enjoying each bawdy, muffled sound that emerged from your stuffed mouth and the way your throat bulged each time he filled it. “You make such a good little fuck toy. My dick looks so good stuffed down your throat, fuck,” Adachi groaned, his tone thick and strained with desire and the power high of using you so completely.

His pace slowed, granting you a second to recover and prepare for when his tempo rose again. He watched himself disappear into your mouth and stretch your throat more slowly, deliberately, an extra primal moan escaping him. You whimpered at the sound, stretching one hand beneath the waistband of your skirt and into your panties to rub your needy clit.

Adachi’s reaction was instant and vicious, bucking hard into your mouth and pulling your arm up roughly. A stifled, plaintive whine came out around his dick at being denied the ability to touch yourself, your cunt crying out for some kind of attention. Adachi ignored the noise, pinning your hands by your wrists to the desk on either side of your body, his grip nearly bruising.

“Who said you could touch yourself, slut?” He hissed, the hunger in his voice making him sound far less threatening. He pulled out purposefully before ramming his cock back down your throat, making you choke again, more tears falling onto the office tile. “You’re supposed to be making things up to me. You can get off on your own time.” He thrust again cruelly and you moaned again, despite the soreness already building from his harsh treatment, the sound a confusing mix of the need to be touched and arousal at his words. “You’re gonna think about sucking my cock and nothing else. You got that?” Adachi withdrew fully, long enough for you to answer his question in a voice raspy and thick with lust. “Yes, sir. Nothing… but your cock. I promise… please,” you panted, your chest rising and falling sharply as you caught your breath again. Adachi’s cock twitched at your desire-soaked words and breathlessness, his cruel smile returning to his lips.

“That’s a good little bitch. Now where was I?” He said mockingly, the head of his dick skimming your parted lips again. You mouthed hungrily at it, wordlessly begging for more.

Still pinning your hands down, Adachi slid back home, cramming your throat full and resuming his rough, selfish pace, groaning and cursing. Each hard thrust took its toll on your control, your throat squeezing more frequently around his cock, only making his lewd noises louder and more feral, dragging him closer to release.

“Fuuuck, it feels so fucking good when you choke on my cock.” He praised, his fingers digging into your wrists more tightly. The speed and rhythm of his thrusts increased until all you could do was choke and moan as he wildly fucked your throat, chasing the fast approaching peak of pleasure. “Shit, this is what little sluts like you were made for. Oh, fuck.”

His rhythm shattered, the intensity of his hips growing as his pace stuttered, making your throat burn. Reflexively you pulled against his hold on your wrists, futilely, the weight of his body and whatever strength he possessed keeping them stuck fast to the desk. “Shit, I’m gonna… cum. And you’re… gonna drink.... every. Last. Drop,” he announced between short, panting breaths and hard thrusts to punctuate his words.

With one last thrust, as deep as he could shove his cock, your throat bulging obscenely again around him, he came. All you could taste on your tongue was salt and sweat, the smell of musk overwhelming your senses as he shot his load down your throat in hot, sticky ropes that stung your abused flesh. You swallowed as best you could between the spurts of cum, drinking him down as demanded.

When Adachi pulled out and stepped back, you could do nothing else but lie still on the hard surface, far too aware of the neglected, throbbing ache between your thighs and the smart of your burning throat. You panted, out of breath, eyes fluttering closed for an instant until the clinking of Adachi’s belt buckle and his voice broke you out of your stupor.

“Now get back to work. If I catch you acting like a whore again, I might just have to take more extreme measures.”

Your cunt clenched at Adachi’s ‘threat’ and your fingers clawed at the desk, but you sat up, trying to shelve your arousal. He obviously wasn’t going to take care of it for you, though you had half a mind to sneak off to the bathroom and do it yourself. “And I don’t want to see you leave that desk until your shift is over,” Adachi ordered as if reading your thoughts.

Your lips twitched in a frown, rubbing away the smear of drool and tears stains on your face with the back of your hand. You nodded, stifling the whimper of protest that stuck in your sore throat. “Yes, sir.”

You weren’t sure how much work was going to get done when you so desperately longed to touch yourself, but it didn’t look like you were going to have much of a choice. At least, not unless you wanted to call your boss on his bluff. Eyeing Adachi’s retreating form as he returned to his desk, you toyed with the idea of doing just. Maybe it would be worth testing his patience if it meant a little relief.

[flashhdtv]

Korean drama(18 again)engsub ep.6 Full Episodes

Watch 18 Again Season 1 Episode 6-10 1–2–3–4–5–1–7–8–9–10 Full Episode 18 Again Temporada 1 Capítulo 6 Sub English / Español 2020 ➤ http://flashserieshd.dplaytv.net/series/377956/1/6 VISIT HERE ➤➤ http://flashserieshd.dplaytv.net/series/377956/1/6

Tells the story of a husband named Hong Dae Young who is on the verge of divorce but finds himself back in his body when he was at the prime of his life 18 years ago. He ends up changing his name to Go Woo Young when he becomes 18- years-old again. Meanwhile, his wife Jung Da Jung joins the workforce as an anchorwoman later on in life after raising their 18-year-old twins.

🎬 18 Again Season 1 Episode 6 Online Free 🎬

Title : 18 Again Episode Title : Episode 6 Release Date : 06 Oct 2020 Runtime : 65 minutes Genres : Comedy , Fantasy , Romance Networks : jTBC

18 Again

Jung Da Jung is married to 37-year-old Hong Dae Young. They have have 18-year-old son and daughter. Jung Da Jung works hard as a rookie announcer and she has a warm heart. She becomes completely fed up with her husband and is unable to deal with him anymore. Hong Dae Young got fired from his job and he is looked down upon by his family. Jung Da Jung hands him divorce papers.

Meanwhile, Hong Dae Young looks at himself as an ordinary jobless middle-aged man. He regrets his life. At that moment, his body changes into that of an 18-year-old year old person, while his mind is still that of his 37-year-old self. Back in his teenage days, Hong Dae Young was an excellent basketball player and also popular. Now, with his regained 18-year-old body, he changes his name to Go Woo Young and begins to live a new life.

Show Info

Network: Korea, Republic of jTBC (2020 - now) Schedule: Mondays, Tuesdays at 21:30 (90 min) Status: Running Language: Korean Show Type: Scripted Genres: Comedy Fantasy Romance Episodes ordered: 16 episodes

With dozens of films genre being released each year, a typical one that gets overlooked by the more popular ones (action, drama, comedy, animation, etc.) is the subgenre category of religious movie. These films (sometimes called “faith-based” features) usually center around the struggles and ideas of a person (or groups) identity of a religious faith, which is, more or less, has a profound event or obstacle to overcome. While not entirely, the most commonplace religious type movies focus on the religion of Christianity, sometimes venturing back into the past in cinematic retelling classic biblical tales, including famed epic films like Ten Commandments and Ben-Hur (the original 1959 version) to some more modern endeavors from Hollywood like Risen, The Young Messiah, and Paul, Apostle of Christ. Other Christian “faith” films finds a more contemporary setting to tell its story, with some being “based on a true-life account” like the movies Unconditional, Heaven is Real, Unbroken, I Can Only Imagine, Indivisible, and Miracles from Heaven, while others might find inspiration from literary novels / fictionalized narratives like The Shack, Overcomer, War Room, and Same Kind of Different as Me. Regardless, whether finding inspiration from true life, references from the bible, or originality, these movies usually speaks on a person’s faith and the inner struggle he or she has within or one society’s views, spreading a message of belief and the understand of one’s belief. Now, after the success of 2018’s I Can Only Imagine, directors Andrew and Jon Erwin (the Erwin Brothers) and Lionsgate studios release the 2020 faith-based film / music biopic feature I Still Believe. Does the film walk a fine line between its religious aspects and cinematic entertainment or does the movie get entangled in its own faith-based preaching?

THE STORY

Its 1999 and Jeremy Camp (K.J. Apa) is a young and aspiring musician who would like nothing more than to honor his God through the power of music. Leaving his Indiana home for the warmer climate of California and a college education, Jeremy soon comes across one Melissa Henning (Britt Robertson), a fellow college student that he takes notices in the audience at a local concert. Falling for cupid’s arrow immediately, he introduces himself to her and quickly discovers that she is attracted to him too. However, Melissa holds back from forming a budding relationship as she fears it will create an awkward situation between Jeremy and their mutual friend, Jean-Luc (Nathan Parson), a fellow musician and who also has feeling for Melissa. Still, Jeremy is relentless in his pursuit of her until they eventually find themselves in a loving dating relationship. However, their youthful courtship with each other comes to a halt when life-threating news of Melissa having cancer takes center stage. The diagnosis does nothing to deter Jeremey’s love for her and the couple eventually marries shortly thereafter. Howsoever, they soon find themselves walking a fine line between a life together and suffering by her illness; with Jeremy questioning his faith in music, himself, and with God himself.

THE GOOD / THE BAD

Sorry if this sounds a bit familiar pieces from my review of I Can Only Imagine, but it definitely says what I feel about these films. While I am a devout Christian (not a crazy zealot or anything like that) for my bases of religion and my outlook beliefs in life, I’m not a huge fan of the “faith-based” feature films. That’s not to say that they’re bad or that I find them deplorable to the other more popular movie genres out there, but sometimes they can a bit preachy and corny / honky in their religious overtones and overall dramatic direction. Personally, I like the more biblical tales that Hollywood as put over, with Cecil B. Demile’s The Ten Commandments and William Wyler’s Ben-Hur; both of have proven to stand the test of time within filmmaking. Of course, Hollywood’s recent trend of put out more “remakes” movies puts an overcast on those biblical epics with 2014’s Exodus: Gods and Kings and 2016’s Ben-Hur; both of which failed to capture a sense of cinematic integrity and had a messy religious outlook in its zeal aspect. Of late, however, Hollywood as retreated more into contemporary pieces, finding narratives that are, more or less, set in a more “modern” day and age to their Christian-faithful based features. As I mentioned above, some have found success in their literary forms (being based on a book and adapted to the big screen), but most derive their inspiration from true life accounts, translating into something that’s meant to strike a chord (with moviegoers) due to its “based on a true story” aspect and nuances. Again, some are good (as I liked Unbroken and The Shack), while others kind of become a bit too preachy and let the religious overtures hamper the film, making them less-than desirable to mainstream audiences or even members of their own faiths. Thus, these religious-esque films can sometimes be problematic in their final presentation for both its viewers and in the film itself; sometimes making the movie feel like a TV channel movie rather than a theatrical feature film. This brings me around to talking about I Still Believe, a 2020 motion picture release of the Christian religious faith-based genre. As almost customary, Hollywood usually puts out two (maybe three) films of this variety movies within their yearly theatrical release lineup, with the releases usually being around spring time and / or fall respectfully. I didn’t hear much when this movie was first announced (probably got buried underneath all the popular movies news on the newsfeed). My first actual glimpse of the movie was when the film’s movie trailer was released, which looked somewhat interesting to me. Yes, it looked the movie was gonna be the typical “faith-based” vibe, but it was going to be directed by the Erwin Brothers, who directed I Can Only Imagine (a film that I did like). Plus, the trailer for I Still Believe premiered for quite some time, so I kept on seeing it a lot of time when I went to my local movie theater. You can kind of say that it was a bit “engrained in my brain”. Thus, I was a bit keen on seeing it. Fortunately, I was able to see it before the COVID-19 outbreak closed the movie theaters down (saw it during its opening night), but, due to work scheduling, I haven’t had the time to do my review for it…. until now. And what did I think of it? Well, it was pretty “meh”. While its heart is definitely in the right place and quite sincere, I Still Believe is a bit too preachy and unbalanced within its narrative execution and character developments. The religious message is clearly there, but takes too many detours and not focusing on certain aspects that weigh the feature’s presentation. As mentioned, I Still Believe is directed by the Erwin Brothers (Andrew and Jon), whose previous directorial works include such films like Moms’ Night Out, Woodlawn, and I Can Only Imagine. Given their affinity attraction religious based Christian movies, the Erwin Brothers seem like a suitable choice in bringing Jeremy Camp’s story to a cinematic representation; approaching the material with a certain type of gentleness and sincerity to the proceedings. Much like I Can Only Imagine, the Erwin Brothers shape the feature around the life of a popular Christian singer; presenting his humble beginnings and all the trials and tribulations that he must face along the way, while musical songs / performance taking importance into account of the film’s narrative story progression. That’s not to say that the movie isn’t without its heavier moments, with the Erwin, who (again) are familiar with religious overtones themes in their endeavors, frame I Still Believe compelling messages of love, loss, and redemption, which (as always) are quite fundamental to watch and experience through tragedy. This even speaks to the film’s script, which was penned by Erwin brothers playing double duty on the project, that has plenty of heartfelt dramatic moments that will certainly tug on the heartstrings of some viewers out there as well as provide to be quite an engaging tale of going through tragedy and hardship and finding a redemption arc to get out of it. This is especially made abundantly clear when dealing with a fatal illness that’s similar to what Melissa undergoes in the film, which is quite universal and reflective in everyone’s world, with the Erwin Brothers painting the painful journey that Melissa takes along with Jeremy by her side, who must learn to cope with pain of a loved one. There is a “double edge” sword to the film’s script, but I’ll mention that below. Suffice to say, the movie settles quickly into the familiar pattern of a religious faith-based feature that, while not exactly polished or original, can be quite the “comfort food” to some; projecting a wholesome message of faith, hope, and love. Personally, I didn’t know of Jeremy Camp and the story of he and Melissa Henning, so it was quite a poignant journey that was invested unfolding throughout the film’s proceedings. As a side-note, the movie is a bit a “tear jerker”, so for those who prone to crying during these dramatic heartfelt movies….get your tissues out. In terms of presentation, I Still Believe meets the industry standard of a religious faith-based motion pictures. Of course, theatrical endeavors like these don’t really have big budged production money to invest in the film’s creation. Thus, filmmakers have to spend their money wisely in bringing their cinematic tales to life on the silver screen. To that effect, the Erwin Brothers smartly utilized this knowledge in the movie’s creation; budgeting the various aspects of the background and genetic theatrical make-up that feel appropriate and genuine in the film’s narrative. So, all the various “behind the scenes” team / areas that I usually mention (i.e. production designs, set decorations, costumes, and cinematography, etc.) are all relatively good as I really don’t have much to complain (whether good or bad) about them. Again, they meet the industry standard for a faith-based movie. Additionally, the musical song parts are pretty good as well. As mentioned, I really didn’t know anything about Jeremy Camp, so I couldn’t say what songs of his were good, but the songs that are presented in the film were pretty decent enough to certain highlight points throughout the movie. Though they are somewhat short (assuming not the whole song is being played), but still effectively good and nice to listen to. Might have to check out a few of the real songs one day. Lastly, the film’s score, which was done by John Debney, fits perfect with this movie; projecting the right amount of heartfelt tenderness in some scenes and inspirational melodies of enlightenment in others. Unfortunately, not all is found to be pure and religiously cinematic in the movie as I Still Believe gets weighed down with several major points of criticism and execution in the feature. How so? For starters, the movie feels a bit incomplete in Jeremy Camp’s journey. What’s presented works (somewhat), but it doesn’t hold up, especially because the Erwin Brothers have a difficult time in nailing down the right narrative path for the film to take. Of course, the thread of Jeremy and Melissa are the main central focus (and justly so), but pretty much everything else gets completely pushed aside, including Jeremy’s musical career rise to stardom and many of the various characters and their importance (more on that below). This also causes the film to have a certain pacing issues throughout the movie, with I Still Believe runtime of 116 minutes (one hour and fifty-six minutes) feeling longer than it should be, especially with how much narrative that the Erwin Brothers skip out on (i.e. several plot chunks / fragments are left unanswered or missing). Additionally, even if a viewer doesn’t know of Jeremy Camp’s story, I Still Believe does, for better or worse, follow a fairly predictable path that’s quite customary for faith-based movie. Without even reading anything about the real lives of Jeremy and Melissa prior to seeing the feature, it’s quite clearly as to where the story is heading and what will ultimately play out (i.e. plot beats and theatrical narrative act progression). Basically, if you’ve seeing one or two Christian faith-based film, you’ll know what to expect from I Still Believe. Thus, the Erwin Brothers don’t really try to creatively do something different with the film…. instead they reinforce the idealisms of Christian and of faith in a formulaic narrative way that becomes quite conventional and almost a bit lazy. There is also the movie’s dialogue and script handling, which does become problematic in the movie’s execution, which is hampered by some wooden / forced dialogue at certain scenes (becoming very preachy and cheesy at times) as well as the feeling of the movie’s story being rather incomplete. There’s a stopping point where the Erwin Brothers settle on, but I felt that there could’ve more added, including more expansion on his music career and several other characters. Then there is the notion of the film being quite secular in its appeal, which is quite understandable, but relies too heavy on its religious thematic messages that can be a bit “off-putting” for some. It didn’t bother me as much, but after seeing several other faith-based movies prior to this (i.e. I Can Only Imagine, Overcomer, Indivisible, etc.), this particular movie doesn’t really rise to Cursed in Love and falls prey to being rather generic and flat for most of its runtime. As you can imagine, I Still Believe, while certainly sincere and meaningful in its storytelling, struggles to find a happy balance in its narrative and execution presentation; proving to be difficult in conveying the whole “big picture” of its message and Jeremey Camp’s journey. The cast in I Still Believe is a mixed bag. To me, none of the acting talents are relatively bad (some are better than others…. I admit), but their characterizations and / or involvement in the film’s story is problematic to say the least. Leading the film’s narrative are two protagonist characters of Jeremy Camp and Melissa Henning, who are played by the young talents of K.J. Apa and Britt Robertson respectfully. Of the two, Apa, known for his roles in Riverdale, The Last Summer, and The Hate U Give, is the better equipped in character development and performance as the young and aspiring musical talent of Jeremy Camp. From the get-go, Apa has a likeable charm / swagger to him, which make his portrayal of Jeremy immediately endearing from onset to conclusion. All the scenes he does are well-represented (be it character-based or dramatic) and certainly sells the journey that Jeremy undergoes in the movie. Plus, Apa can also sing, which does lend credence to many of the scene’s musical performance. For Robertson, known for her roles in Tomorrowland, Ask Me Anything, and The Space Between Us, she gets hampered by some of the film’s wooden / cheesy dialogue. True, Robertson’s performance is well-placed and well-mannered in projecting a sense of youthful and dewy-eyed admiration in Mellissa, especially since the hardships here character undergoes in the feature, but it’s hard to get passed the cringeworthy dialogue written for her. Thus, Robertson’s Melissa ends up being the weaker of the two. That being said, both Apa and Robertson do have good on-screen chemistry with each other, which certainly does sell the likeable / loving young relationship of Jeremy and Melissa. In more supporting roles, seasoned talents like actor Gary Sinise (Forest Gump and Apollo 13) and musician singer Shania Twain play Jeremey’s parents, Tom and Terry Camp. While both Sinise and Twain are suitable for their roles as a sort of small town / Midwest couple vibe, their characters are little more than window dressing for the feature’s story. Their screen presence / star power lends weigh to the project, but that’s pretty much it; offering up a few nuggets to bolster a few particular scenes here and there, which is disappointing. Everyone else, including actor Nathan Parsons (General Hospital and Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water) as musical talent and mutual friend to both Jeremy and Melissa, Jean-Luc Lajoie, young actor Reuben Dodd (The Bridge and Teachers) as Jeremy’s handicapped younger brother, Joshua Camp, and his other younger brother, Jared Camp (though I can’t find out who played him the movie), are relatively made up in smaller minor roles that, while acted fine, are reduced to little more than just underdeveloped caricatures in the film, which is a shame and disappointing.

FINAL THOUGHTS

The power of faith, love, and affinity for music take center stage in Jeremy Camp’s life story in the movie I Still Believe. Directors Andrew and Jon Erwin (the Erwin Brothers) examine the life and times of Jeremy Camp’s life story; pin-pointing his early life with his relationship Melissa Henning as they battle hardships and their enduring love for one another through difficult times. While the movie’s intent and thematic message of a person’s faith through trouble times is indeed palpable as well as the likeable musical performances, the film certainly struggles to find a cinematic footing in its execution, including a sluggish pace, fragmented pieces, predicable plot beats, too preachy / cheesy dialogue moments, over utilized religious overtones, and mismanagement of many of its secondary /supporting characters. To me, this movie was somewhere between okay and “meh”. It was definitely a Christian faith-based movie endeavor (from start to finish) and definitely had its moments, but it just failed to resonate with me; struggling to find a proper balance in its undertaking. Personally, despite the story, it could’ve been better. Thus, my recommendation for this movie is an “iffy choice” at best as some will like (nothing wrong with that), while others will not and dismiss it altogether. Whatever your stance on religious faith-based flicks, I Still Believe stands as more of a cautionary tale of sorts; demonstrating how a poignant and heartfelt story of real-life drama can be problematic when translating it to a cinematic endeavor. For me, I believe in Jeremy Camp’s story / message, but not so much the feature.