Austin Film Festival Movie Review: ‘I’ll Be There’

10/27/2023

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Jasmine Bachelor and Ryan Cooper as Grace and AJ in ‘I’ll Be There’. (Photo Courtesy of Yana Films.)

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the motion picture ‘I’ll Be There’. Also, this piece was written during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. Without the labor of the actors currently on strike, the movie being covered here wouldn’t exist.

Something that we can all agree upon in this life, is that family has a profound impact upon us. Sometimes that impact is of course, good in nature. Since family can be there for us in a time of need and lift us up when we are feeling low, and they of course… can teach us how to be better people. While other times, that impact can be negative. For family only knows what it knows, and we learn and misstep together and that can bring about hurt, trauma, ugly disagreements and sometimes… outright rifts. Where we separate from them in every sense of the world to heal and steer clear of what was likely quite toxic in nature. But even then… family still finds a way to have an impact upon our lives.

For the news that one of them is ill or preparing to pass… or perhaps preparing to celebrate something wonderful brings them back into our lives, for better or worse. But what matters most about this fact about family, is that regardless of what kind of impact they had upon us, they are to be cherished and celebrated. For the bad we endured put us on a powerful path toward the light and the good, sustains us and pushes us daily and what’s fascinating, is that it often takes a singular moment in time to learn to appreciate our family and embrace them and understand what they truly mean to us. And it just so happens that the Austin Film Festival recently screened a motion picture that explores that moment.

A feat that I’ll Be There accomplishes by introducing us to a woman named Grace who finds herself at a familial crossroads. For despite keeping some ties with her family, her hard upbringing and the difficulties that accompanied her being part of a blended family, prompted her to move away at the first opportunity available and forge a life that was a little more peaceful. But when her brother AJ informs her, he is coming to her new home city, Los Angeles, to have his bladder cancer treated by the best doctors there… Grace has no choice but plunge herself back into family life and all of the memories both good and bad that brings forth during an eerily somber time. For the legend, Michael Jackson, also dies at the same time AJ is admitted into the hospital, and that too… weighs heavy on Grace since she has deep emotional ties to Michael’s music. But what matters most, is that all of this wanton surprise will force Grace to finally reflect upon her past, her family, and what exactly they mean to her and what they should mean going forward.

Which is… the perfect plot in which to explore the central theme of this film. Because often times… what makes us appreciate family or at least learn to understand what it means to us… is crisis. For the fragility of life is on display when crisis strikes, and it forces everyone to really think about the journey and the ups and downs the journey brings and that leads… to some powerful moments in this film. The kind that feels, painfully real at times, specifically Grace’s musings upon her past and the parts of it she wants to forget but cannot. For it is part of her, and the only way for her to make peace with it… is to decide whether or not to accept and embrace her family for who they are, flaws and all. However, while those elements and that journey alone would have been enough to carry this film, it offers so much more to the viewer and the landscape of cinema as a whole.

For this is that rare film that uses a moment in pop culture history as an anchor point and catalyst for Grace’s journey, and we don’t acknowledge enough, that moments such as the death of the King of Pop have a profound impact upon us and signal so much regarding our life and the next chapter that awaits us. And this movie deserves a round of applause for adding another layer of realism through that and of course… it is a film that is deeply steeped in proper representation. After all, the days of the perfectly Caucasian family, with two-point-five kids, sitting around the table while dad carves up the Saturday Night Roast are gone. And Grace’s family is what America really looks like now, making this a trailblazing film, one that also features… some amazing acting.

For every single actor in this story brings their A-game, with Jasmine Bachelor and Ryan Cooper leading the charge as Grace and AJ respectively. Since their intense interactions in this film, and the worries that Grace faces, feel authentic and move you, because of what these two bring to the table. And of course… you’re captivated from beginning to end with this film, courtesy of the magnificent direction of Andrew Shea and the majestic writing of Cindy McCreery and all of these elements work to combine to provide the viewer… with a deeply personal viewing experience. One that truly calls to us and leaves us wondering what we should do with our own family concerns and troubles or celebrate what is in front of us. For we only get one family in this life, and it is important we remember that.

Watch ‘I’ll Be There’

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