Ragamuffin (2014)

Based on the life of Rich Mullins, a musical prodigy who rose to Christian music fame and fortune only to walk away and live on a Navajo reservation. An artistic genius, raised on a tree ... See full summary »

Director:

David Leo Schultz

Writers:

David Holechek (additional story), Dave Mullins (story consultant)

Stars:

Michael Koch, David Leo Schultz, Mel Fair

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Michael Koch	...	Rich Wayne Mullins
David Leo Schultz	...	Sam Howard
Mel Fair	...	John Mullins
Carson Aune	...	Justin
Elizabeth Roberts	...	Jessica (as Elizabeth Ann Roberts)
Christie Brooke	...	Sprinkle
Cameron Goodman	...	Beth
Mitch McVicker	...	Himself
James Kyson	...	Matt Gast
Wolfgang Bodison	...	Bryan Bontrager
Charles Lawlor	...	Brennan Manning
Amy Schultz	...	Amy Grant
Bill Clem	...	Gary
Michelle Keller	...	Neva Mullins
Dave Mullins	...	Radio DJ Randy

Storyline

Based on the life of Rich Mullins, a musical prodigy who rose to Christian music fame and fortune only to walk away and live on a Navajo reservation. An artistic genius, raised on a tree farm in Indiana by a callous father, Rich wrestled all of his life with the brokenness and crippling insecurity born of his childhood. A lover of Jesus and a rebel in the church, Rich refused to let his struggles with his own darkness tear him away from a God he was determined to love. As he struggled with success in Nashville and depression in Wichita, Rich desired most of all to live a life of honest and reckless faith amidst a culture of religion and conformity.

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Taglines:

In the end it's not gonna matter if you have a few scars, but it will matter if you didn't live.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for thematic elements and smoking

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 January 2014 (USA)

Also Known As:

Бродяга

Box Office

Budget:

$500,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Color Green Films, Duality Filmworks

Technical Specs

Runtime:

137 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Morris is played by the real life Sam, Rich's friend from college. And the actor playing the radio interviewer is Rich's real life younger brother David,

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Connections

Followed by Rich Mullins: A Ragamuffin's Legacy (2014)

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Soundtracks

Elijah
Written by Rich Mullins
Performed by Michael Koch

User Reviews

Highly Recommended

I love this story. It breaks the stereotype of Christian movies, most of which start with a messed up person who then meets Jesus and gets their life cleaned up. And they all lived happily ever after.

Rich Mullins was a mess. He was a mess before he met Jesus, he was a mess after he met Jesus. Maybe that was why he had such a keen understanding of grace. That's really what this movie is about. They wanted to tell the true story of Rich Mullins, as messy as it was, although I'm sure they had to clean it up some in order to get churches to show it. The in-concert monologues are mostly, if not all, taken verbatim from things Rich said during concerts. The music is well done and fitting with the story.

The movie was made on a shoestring budget, and in many ways it shows. The sound recording and mixing during interior scenes were not good (although that may have been partially due to the church where we were viewing the movie). The acting was sub-par compared to big budget movies, even from Wolfgang Bodison, who has plenty of acting experience. The sets all felt cramped and poorly utilized.

But for all its faults I think it's still worth seeing. Even if you have never heard of Rich Mullins, it's a compelling story. The movie, like Rich Mullins, can be full of faults and still have incredible redeeming value.