Ragamuffin: Based on the Life of Rich Mullins

Ragamuffin: Based on the Life of Rich Mullins was released in theaters several months ago and is now coming out on DVD. I was privileged to receive a copy to review and was completely wrecked by this movie. I had no idea what Rich was like as a person. I bought his first record simply because of this song:


Because it had Amy Grant helping out with BGVs. Rich wrote many songs that Amy recorded (Sing Your Praise to the Lord, Doubly Good to You, Love of Another Kind) and was one of the many artists that Amy helped professionally.

I always found his lyrics to be deep and inspiring. He wasn't one to write bubblegum songs, his had meaning.

After watching this movie it is clear that he was a passionate man who thought deeply. I had no idea how tortured he was from the circumstances surrounding him. 

There are sixteen instances of swearing in this movie, most being the same word and most spoken by the character portraying Rich's father. The father who caused most of the torment in the life of this musical genius. 

It is clear that the words spoken to Rich when he was a child had a horrible impact and that if his father had taken time to spend with his son, to get to know him, to love him for who he was and not try to make him into something else, then Rich probably would not have walked the path that he did. 

But God still used him where he was. He used him while he smoke, and He used him while he drank. It seems as though Rich had tragedy after tragedy in his life and he didn't know how to let it go.

I found this movie to be almost overwhelming. All he wanted was his father's love and he died without never getting or knowing it. 

We have a generation of people just like Rich. Searching for ways to fill the void of the  love of an earthly father. 

I think that this movie could have an impact on the lives of those people.

While Rich wasn't perfect, he lived his life trying to be like Jesus and the impact that he made through his music may be nothing in comparison that the impact this movie may have.



This movie was provided for review by FlyBy Promotions.