A frozen lake in St. Charles Missouri is the initial setting for this new formulaic, though not really evangelizing faith-based, first-time effort from Roxann Dawson (best known from Star Trek: Voyager).
In time for Easter Breakthrough is based on actual events in early 2015 when 14-year-old Central American adoptee John Smith (Marcel Ruiz) fell through said lake’s surface and was submerged for fifteen minutes. First responders couldn’t get a pulse after getting him out of the gelid environment with no pulse for three-quarters of an hour. His mother Joyce (Chrissy Metz of the popular small-screen This Is Us) provided sonorous intercessions on his behalf triggering a nearly week-long local outpouring resulting in an inconceivable recuperation. His dad Brian, a milquetoast Josh Lucas, feels the Type A Joyce can be rather discourteous for quite a delicate matter.
A modest directness permeates the young man’s tribulation with much conviction especially from Joyce and young, slick pastor Jason Noble (Topher Grace). Yet, the spiritual embodiment of what came from the rescue effort doesn’t dilute but works in unison with emergency services and medical staff like a nonplussed Dr. Garrett (Dennis Haysbert). Shaded to a degree as well as indicative, Dawson’s gauche, if gainful foray locates the tussles in the aftermath of such an exacting phenomenon.
The inexplicable can be touching even if the overall portrait may not err on the side of caution or reliance on providence. Breakthrough isn’t really as such in the genre, but to an extent it may be for the flawed, though convincing etching by Metz (who could be following in the footsteps of star Melissa McCarthy). What is ever-present in Joyce’s candor and personal beliefs has had an effect on the actress off-screen making this cousin of Miracles From Heaven more palpable and dutiful than anticipated.