MOSES LAKE — A Christian-themed story of redemption and forgiveness opened Thursday at Fairchild Cinemas in Moses Lake.

“I Can Only Imagine” is scheduled to appear until next Thursday, March 22, according to the theater’s website.

But the movie could play longer depending on audience turnout, explained Sean Sallis, a local youth pastor who started an online petition to bring the movie to town. A total of 803 people expressed interest in seeing the movie and as of Wednesday, 386 people had bought tickets to see the show.

“I couldn’t sit back and not let it come here,” Sallis said. “The movie will leave people with hope. They (the movie directors) want their films to spark conversation.”

The film tells the story of how the double platinum song “I Can Only Imagine” came to be. Songwriter Bart Millard of Mercy Me wrote the song about his life and strained relationship with his father, played by actor Dennis Quaid. Millard’s mother left the family when he was 11, devastating Millard and his father, according to the movie’s trailer.

The movie is billed as “a gripping reminder of the power of true forgiveness.”

The cast also includes Madeline Carroll, Priscilla Shirer, Trace Adkins and Cloris Leachman.

Sallis attended Bible college with the movie’s directors, Jon and Andy Erwin, who also directed the Christian-themed movie “Woodlawn.” Sallis helped bring Woodlawn to Moses Lake in 2015 and the movie showed for five weeks.

“As long as they’re selling tickets, they’re going to keep it,” Sallis commented about “I Can Only Imagine.”

As of Thursday, MovieTickets.com ranked “I Can Only Imagine” as the top trending movie for its website’s total ticket sales at 18.8 percent, just slightly ahead of “Black Panther” at 18.5 percent. “A Wrinkle in Time” (17.1 percent), “Tomb Raider” (7.2 percent) and “Love, Simon” (6.5 percent) were also listed as trending movies.

For show time listings, visit www.fairchildcinemas.com.