With the recently released redemption movie, “Jesse’s Gift,” there were a lot of firsts. For writer and director Ken Merritt, it is his first full-length film. For Ken’s son, Gabe Merritt, it was the first time to have a supporting role in a movie. But for Ken’s brother, Michael Merritt, it was more than one first.
“Jesse’s Gift” is the story of a musician who lost his family and his career due to alcoholism. It’s a story of forgiveness and how a father’s love can break through barriers even as strong as a lifelong addiction.
The movie portrays a real picture of someone who has fallen to that low place and, as such, does have scenes of drinking, being drunk and a strip club (with no nudity).
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“We can’t sugarcoat this. It’s got to be real,” Michael said, agreeing with the direction Ken took the movie.
Michael originally was only asked to be the composer and performer of the music in “Jesse’s Gift,” but when he committed, it was only for a “short,” a 25-minute film.
Polishing the script
Looking back, Michael had no idea where this consent would lead. As Ken began to really polish the script, he began to feel that Jesse should be played by Michael.
At first, Michael was hesitant to commit. After all, he was a musician, not an actor.
After thinking it through and a lot of praying with his wife, Marcee, Michael began to get excited. He had acted a little in high school, so it wasn’t a completely foreign idea. He recognized he could learn from the experience and told Ken he accepted.
One “first” Michael had was helping to scout out co-stars.
“I found Chiara Roberts, who plays Brooke, my daughter. I think it was on Backstage (a casting agency). I really liked Chiara’s reel. It was really casual but it just seemed like she was so real and authentic in her character. I just felt like that was right,” Michael said.
Michael ended up being correct. Chiara was able to portray her character’s range, from being a bitter daughter who worked in a strip club after her mother’s death and her father’s descent into alcoholism, to learning to forgive and love again.
Relating to the role
Though he was never a homeless person like Jesse, Michael did have a hard time making a living with music. For a while, he worked doubles and triples as a restaurant server to make ends meet.
He finally took a full-time worship leader position in a big, growing church but struggled the entire time, later recognizing he had made his decision based on the salary and not by learning what God wanted.
Michael then accepted the worship leader position at a much smaller church, Daystar Church in Lenoir City, Tennessee. Not only did that pastor recognize that this film was part of Michael’s calling and allowed him time off to work on it, but one of the church’s ministries was also imperative in developing Jesse’s character.
It was only in hindsight that Michael realized how moving to this church had already equipped him. Not being an addict himself, Michael needed a way to get to know those who struggled with addiction and homelessness.
Homeless ministry
“At Daystar, I was part of a ministry called Water Angels for two years. Every Sunday after church, I’d go down there. We had a church service, and I’d lead worship for the homeless people and then we had a meal.
“I felt like the Lord prepared me to know how to talk to homeless people,” he said.
Even though writing and performing music for a film was a “first,” writing and performing wasn’t new to Michael.
He has been a worship leader at multiple churches. He has been a writer and performer of contemporary Christian music and worship songs for decades. He has also written country songs.
Passionate about worship, Michael has written songs that did really well on the charts, including his top-ranking song, “I Will Exalt the One Who Lifted Me.”
In fact, Michael had even already written a couple of songs that fit perfectly with the movie and were able to be used.
His dad’s influence
In addition to sharing the life of a musician, Jesse mirrored Michael in one other important way. Like Jesse, Michael’s dad died young, and his dad also gave him a life-changing gift.
When Michael was young, he had worked really hard to make the basketball team. He was devastated when he got cut.
“Dad did a weird thing,” Ken explained. “He left the house and went to a pawn shop and got a guitar that had five strings on it. That literally changed the trajectory of [Michael’s] life.”
That God-inspired impulse buy eventually led to Michael starring in a full-length movie and winning several awards for the soundtrack of “Jesse’s Gift.”
“I learned at the premiere, when [the audiences’] hearts get touched, they buy in,” Michael said. “By the time Jesse performed ‘Where are You?’ [at the end], they were all on their feet. They were clapping. It was just awesome.
“We are really blessed.”
