I’ll Be There, directed by Andrew Shea and written by Cindy McCreery, begins during a birthday party. A child is being forced to leave by his dad, causing the birthday girl to cry. So, the slightly older kid decides to stay, causing the father to lose his s**t. The other adults intervene, and the hot-tempered, abusive man drives away in a huff. In order to save the day, good dad Clint (Dorien Wilson) buys tickets to a Michael Jackson concert from a scalper.
Two decades later, the birthday girl, Grace (Jasmine Batchelor), lives in Los Angeles with her husband and children. She receives a call from A.J. (Ryan Cooper), the brother who stood up to his father all those years ago. He has bladder cancer, and Grace can barely believe this devasting news. She pulls some strings and gets him into a hospital in L.A. with a doctor who specializes in neo-bladder surgeries. Said medical treatment happens on the same day Michael Jackson dies. With the family together, old resentment flairs, as Grace is considered the golden child, as she’s their parents’ only child together. Her adoptive/half-siblings don’t reach out, meaning she’s missed birthday parties due to not being invited. The tension and fear of the worst, coupled with the loss of their childhood hero, means everyone goes after everyone else. Will A.J. survive or is the worst in store? Can Grace remain calm with everyone in the same room, or will she finally let it all out?
“Said medical treatment happens on the same day Michael Jackson dies.”
The golden child talk does not make a lot of sense until very near the end of I’ll Be There. The various siblings (I believe four altogether) agree Grace can do no wrong and that she can get away with pretty much anything. But there’s no evidence of this throughout the 97-minute runtime. However, with the end looming, in a heartfelt conversation between Grace and A.J., what it means and why they all say it. The explanation makes perfect sense and is one of the most touching parts of the film. But until then, the golden child talk is awkward as there’s no evidence for it.
Luckily, the cast sells it. Grace bends over backward to help out, but no matter what she does, the others, specifically A.J.’s high-strung wife (Ajna Jai), still put her down. Batchelor sells the desperation to help as it’s the only thing she can control at the moment. Quiet moments with the family of a different patient provide a strong sense of who Grace is when not around her family. Cooper is excellent, being needy yet reserved equally. Gary Newton portrays the abusive biological dad and really nails the pent-up frustrations he feels. Wilson is tender and sweet throughout.
I’ll Be There is an effective drama that ends on an unexpected but lovely note. The cast is strong, and their characters are interesting. The drama is buoyed by some excellent levity, and the flashbacks really sell the sibling bond that is so central to the narrative. Overall, this is a good drama that uses the beloved singer’s death to explore a family’s history of sibling love and rivalry.
For more information, visit the official I’ll Be There site.
"…ends on an unexpected but lovely note."
