User reviews

'MIRACLES FROM HEAVEN': Three and a Half Stars (Out of Five)

A faith-based Christian drama flick, adapted from the memoir (of the same name) by Christy Beam. Beam tells the story of her 10-year-old daughter; who suffered from an incurable disease, and then was suddenly cured from it (after having a near-death experience). The movie deals with Christy's struggles with her faith, while coping with her daughter's tragic illness. Jennifer Garner stars in the film, as Christy Beam, and it costars Kylie Rogers, Martin Henderson, Eugenio Derbez and Queen Latifah. It was directed by Patricia Riggen (who also helmed 'THE 33', last year), and it was scripted by Randy Brown (who also wrote 2012's 'TROUBLE WITH THE CURVE'). The movie only received mixed reviews from critics, but it did surprisingly well at the Box Office (where viewers raved about it). I enjoyed it as well.

The story takes place in Burleson, Texas (in 2011). Christy Beam (Garner), and her husband Kevin (Henderson), are devastated to learn that one of their daughters, 10-year-old Anna (Rogers), suffers from pseudo-obstruction motility disorder. The disease makes it so Anna is unable to consume food, without tubes. It's also deadly, and incurable. Christy doesn't understand how this could have happened, to her Christian family (that always goes to church regularly). She struggles to keep her faith, and then is amazed to learn of her daughter's miraculous recovery (possibly because of it).

I was raised strictly Catholic, and I always attended church regularly (as a child), so I'm always interested in any movies that deal with religion. I'm not usually that impressed, with the average 'overly preachy' ones (that mostly just 'preach to the choir'), but this one is really well made. Garner's performance is amazing, and Riggen's direction is equally as impressive. The movie seems a little clichéd, and gimmicky, but for the most part it's pretty emotional (I cried multiple times). It's also kind of inspiring. The film is actually one of those rare Christian movies that's worth the time to watch!

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Having been initially wary of how well this film would play out - I ended up surprised at just how successfully it was handled. To begin with, it features a sterling performance by American Jenifer Garner. She absolutely shines in her difficult role as mother to young daughter Anna Beams. Anna's story could too easily be palmed off as clichéd but, being based on factual situations makes it considerably different from other movies with similar content. It tells of Anna's astounding life changing experiences while fighting off a rare, deadly digestive disorder. Young Kylie Rogers as Anna, proves herself to be quite a formidable star.

The screenplay by Randy Brown is adapted from Christy Beam's (Anna's mother) factual book. Christy examines the many challenges and inspirational experiences shared by her daughter and family. Garner plays Christy, while New Zealand actor Martin Henderson ("Little Fish" '05) turns in good support as her husband. The family have all moved to live on his newly established Veterinary farm in Texas and are set to be sorely tested, emotionally and financially. Another noteworthy performance comes from multi-talented Eugenio Derbez, playing a highly interesting character who's based on real-life specialist Dr Samuel Nurko. Other cast members in supporting roles also execute their characterizations very well indeed. And, that surprising 'Tree' scene is rather unsettling.

American based Peruvian cinematographer and director of photography Checco Varese (AKF: "The 33" in 2015) supplies a wide array of glorious visuals. These are accompanied by a worthy music score from veteran Roman composer Carlo Siliotto. The whole work is nicely tied together with great flare by talented Mexican director Patricia Riggen, who keeps this true story running at just the right tempo. Viewers with tendencies towards little or no faith, or those who maybe cynical towards situations involving the inexplicable - might find this movie could be wasted on them - however, no matter what your view, it is difficult to dispute the confirming evidence of documented medical records!. If your'e looking for a faith-lift based on actual events, then you won't be let down. Introducing the real-life characters over the final credits is a master touch. It's good to know this movie was so successful - it actually made a well deserved profit. It's certainly a refreshing break from the assorted porn masquerading as 'entertainment' on today's market. Congratulations all involved and Sony/Columbia.

This movie is very stirring and emotionally moving. It really captures the emotions and the crisis of faith that must be the experience of those who must watch their children suffer in any way.

The directing is very good and the cinematography is well done. When I started watching the movie I expected the characters to be somewhat plastic. To my delight, this was not the case. The characters seemed real, human, and relatable.

However, it is the performance of Jennifer Garner as Christy Beam (the Mom) and Kylie Rogers as Anna Beam (the daughter) that put it over the top.

I very much recommend this movie

Miracles From Heaven is directed by Patricia Riggen and stars Jennifer Garner as the mother of a sick child named Anna, played by Kylie Rogers. The child is diagnosed with a rare disease that doesn't allow her body to digest food. Stay away from the trailers for this movie if you plan on seeing it; they spoil the entire film. That's all I'm going to say, because I don't want to spoil the movie for anyone.

I was somewhat excited about seeing Miracles From Heaven, but I was expecting the movie to be as the trailers said it would be, and it was a completely different movie, despite it still being pretty good. The marketing team for this movie should really be fired, because the advertisement for Miracles From Heaven was marketing a separate movie. The film does have some flaws, but it was good overall.

My favorite thing about Miracles From Heaven was the performances given by the actors that play the little girl's parents, that being Jennifer Garner as the mother and Martin Henderson as the father. These two did pretty great together, and made a very believable married couple that are struggling with their ability to cope with the sickness that their daughter has. Although I wish the film went a bit deeper into their conflicted relationship based on stress and disagreements, both actors did very well, and deserve some recognition by receiving future roles.

Having said that about the two parents, and the actors that played them, not many other characters, or actors, stand out. Most of the other actors do fine, and don't really have anything special to do with their screen time, while also not exactly doing bad. Queen Latifah was marketed as playing a big character in this film (her name is on the poster), yet her character was given a good amount of depth, and then forgot about by the script. Her character just disappears from the film entirely, and it was pretty disappointing, to be honest.

Kylie Rogers, who plays Anna, the sick little girl, does pretty good. Her performance isn't very distinctive, but she does okay for a little girl. Both of her sisters seem like wasted characters overall. I really wish the film would've dived into the difficulties that the sisters were dealing with, as in having a very sick sister, but it didn't. The sisters, played by Brighton Sharbino and Courtney Fansler, were partially wasted as characters that could've been interesting.

The direction was pretty good. No shots really stood out as good or bad, and the overall camera work did what it should've done, it just wasn't as interesting as it could've been. The script was pretty nice, with some very good dialogue at points, and some pretty bland dialogue at others. There were a couple different subplots that really should've been either cut out, or given more attention to, that were kind of stuck in between the two, and those elements are what dragged the story down.

The absolute worst thing about Miracles From Heaven is the pacing, particularly with the time jumps. There are more than enough time jumps, yet the film fails to explain how much time has passed. Coming out of the theater, I didn't know whether or not the film's setting lasted 6 months or 6 years. These time jumps really pulled the movie down by an entire letter grade (or so), and was pretty underwhelming.

Other than the few complaints I mentioned, I liked just about everything about Miracles From Heaven. It didn't get too preachy, and was constructed as a film pretty well. I'd recommend Miracles From Heaven to anyone who can handle watching something somewhat sad, because there are a couple sentimental moments.

I will only say this; if you have kids of your own you will cry to the point where the floor is completely filled with tissues. My eyes are so swollen right now, I can hardly see what I'm writing :D

The film is beautifully shot, and really well acted, seriously the best performance of Jennifer Gardner's career she really lived it! Every one in it did a good job but especially the little girl that is the main character. And its a true story! I really don't understand how anyone could not like this film. I'm an actress and fairly critical because I see film technically as well as story wise, but this one really stands up! The story was wonderful. I loved it! I cried my eyes out, I connected with the characters and cared about their journey and it left me thinking. In the end what more do we want from a film! I really hope Jennifer Gardner gets some recognition for this role she earned it!

A very beautiful story with amazing interpretations and deep meaning. Bravo to all you must see for sure

So, it's common that people attribute "near death" experiences to "seeing their sky daddy" because when you are near death/when you die you release dimethyltryptamine (DMT) the compound that is released in our brains when we dream. So we are able to experience a waking dream. So this girl experienced that. And they called it their neighborhood deity's fault. (Mind you, if she were in India it would be Shiva, if she were in Saudi it would be Allah, if she were in China it would be Buddha, etcetera. It's just whoever your local skydaddy is) The notion that this is "proof" of a skydaddy is freaking HORRIFIC considering what skydaddy would want a child to suffer for no reason in the first place? all so she can have a random accident and "get faith" - I mean wtf??? religious people are so freaking twisted it's beyond disturbing.

I was a little trepid due to the religious undertones of this movie ... but ... I loved it! The casting is excellent, and just because Queen Latifah isn't doing a SNL impression doesn't mean she didn't do a good job in a character role. It's called acting.

The actress who played Anna was fantastic too, in fact the whole family was. BUT the stand out star by far was Jennifer Garner. To those critics who condemn her to Alias / Daredevil and other such ilks I say "not any more". Since Dallas Buyers Club she has shown she can adapt and is not only a fantastic character actor but that she is capable of leading a movie.

Garner has both warmth and strength, two characteristics I'm sure the real life mother had too. You can't help but buy in to this family and this story and I'm really glad I saw it.

I was dreading this movie. On the surface, it is everything I dislike about Christian film. By what it emphasized, the marketing made me think that I was in for a film where the struggles of life, while real, would be quickly gotten through, and the film would be mainly focusing on what happens after God has answered our prayers and we refuse to hide our light under a bushel. Granted I had not seen much of the marketing, I tend to avoid trailers and hype, and I've been burned by Christian film more times than I can count.

So let's just say my expectations were low.

This film surprised me though. That isn't to say it's all good, but I would definitely take the pile of films put out by Christian studios and imprints and put this one near the top of the stack. It certainly is more deserving of a theatrical release than most.

Miracles that are God way of letting us know, He is here.

Such a light hearted movie with a good screenplay & a well written story . Well actually it's based on true events & that's what makes the movie special .This movie focuses on miracles that can happen in your life that can change . I actually believe that luck also plays its part in it .

I just saw this movie yesterday and I am a Christian. I think that is important to mention because there will be some people who simply don't like the movie because they don't like Christian films. So here is my honest review: When I first saw the trailer I thought this movie was going to be decent, but not great. I thought it would probably be the formulaic Christian film that most of us have seen over and over again. Most of these films have flat Christian characters put in tough circumstances that never cause them to truly struggle with their faith, which is why most people find Christian films to be unrealistic. This is not the case with Miracles from Heaven.

This film has incredible performances by the entire cast, especially Jennifer Garner and Kylie Rogers. The film perfectly balances the story with aspects of faith. The core of this story is about a mother suffering with her daughter's pain and health. What I was not expecting was to feel as though I was a part of this story. The film immersed me in what it would be like to be going through this struggle. This movie will make you cry in the sad moments and in the happy moments because you will feel as though this is your family. That is why this film transcends other Christian films. The moments where God is mentioned don't feel as though they are forced and preachy. Those moments are carefully woven and important to the family's journey through a terrible illness. It surpassed my expectations.

That's why I recommend going to see it. "Miracles are God's way of showing us that He's here." - Miracles from Heaven

Miracle ... or how to remain optimistic. I won't say that you have to believe in God because faith is omnipresent in this film. But, whatever you are going through, because of this film, you will know that you will never be alone anymore. It is a wonderful film which shows you that you should never give up. It is impossible not to cry but what a beautiful film. The actors are amazing. Jennifer Garner is perfect in this role.

What else can I say ? It is a incredible story and I just can tell you that you should see this film.

I went to see this movie with five others and we all agreed that it is an excellent film. The fact that we stood around talking about it afterwords and "debriefing" tells you something. The film has a few powerful messages whether one has any kind of faith or not. I would encourage everyone young and old to take the opportunity to see it as it is a must see. Refreshing to see a movie that holds one's attention without violence, bad language and negative outcomes. On the contrary, this was a message of hope and a wonderful story of a family and their struggles with illness, money and their faith. The acting was AMAZING from every character. The critics got it WRONG so WRONG. Go.see.this.movie.

I tend not to read the synopsis of films and even after watching, it made one 'pray' reference... If it was clearly labeled as a Christian or faith based film, I never would have bothered.

The film was poor but as a 'non-believer', I find religious based films too much to stomach. If you are of a similar persuasion, pick another film.

My daughter and I found this movie very uplifting. We were not looking for an Oscar worthy film but a movie that is positive and with a big heart. This is much more than a faith based movie but a very basic to goodness movie that we don't showcase anymore in films and we found this very appealing. For me, this is a movie that turned my daughter around as she is struggling with faith and life issues at the moment. That is a miracle by itself.

This is a small movie that we enjoyed and it touched our hearts and the acting of Garner and Kylie are commendable. All the actors in this movie are very convincing. The movie was just not all centered in faith but also about how the community, strangers and family rally behind the Beams. There is also the basic kindness that strangers offer without hesitation in our everyday lives are shown here and those are very comforting and should not be overlooked. This movie is not preachy but it is really about an ordinary day to day struggles of each and everyone of us. Great movie!

There are certain movies that are catnip for the American Bible Belt: faith-centered family dramas based on "actual events" that have a thick undercurrent of patriotism (Dolphin Tale, The Blind Side, Simon Birch, Soul Surfer). Miracles from Heaven, an ABC Family movie-of-the-week masquerading as cinema, is the latest in that trend. And while it may be one of the better films aiming for the Christian-demographic, that's like calling a tune the happiest Nickelback song. It's a (mostly) harmlessly bad outing whose most egregious sin is its incessant pandering. This true story is every parent's nightmare: a little girl inexplicably contracts an incurable disorder, and the faith of her family is understandably tested. Rogers, as the sick girl, is actually really good and provides some of the only gravitas in a movie otherwise filled with feather-weight ideas on faith and Christianity. Garner, as the mother, continues to prove she should stick to lighter fare, as her dramatic chops are just plain not there. Even with the shameful yet effective manipulation, her inability to get beyond soap-opera melodrama too often distracts from the tragedy. Not that this is purely a downer of a movie, in either quality or content. Despite knowing (just from the title alone) that something good will change this family's circumstances, director Riggan does a decent enough job of keeping us in the family's mindset, especially during the climactic tree sequence. It even makes up for some of its indulgent tendencies with a message about looking for the little miracles we all experience. Unfortunately, it's all readily shaded by blatant manipulation and unbelievable stupidity in the minor characters, sins that are hard to forgive.

It is a gem of a true story! With quality acting and cinematography. It's prayerful, and realistically portrays Christian faith experiences (trust, forgiveness, doubt, anger, humility, conversion, love, gratitude). If you're a person of faith, this is a must see. If you're not, perhaps this family's witness is one you need to see for yourself.

just think about how this movie can help those who are in the same situations. like the pastor said you can choose to just stick to it or walk away, give up, but having a faith is better in seem-like- hopeless circumstances.

I enjoyed all the usual, everyday stuff in the movie which can touch me just because it happens to me the same way when my loved ones get ill. no matter how broken our life is, we do have some people, or maybe just one, whoever she,he is to you, to give all the care that you just feel and don't try to give. just few things to share. there must be someone who you really care about and it hurts you when bad things happen to them. I personally don't think children should grow up without knowing what is faith and God while they are free to make a choice so this movie might be worth considering for family entertainment.

hope you all good health and luck