Film Review – Miracles from Heaven
2 min read
Based on the true story of Anna Beam, a ten-year-old from Burleson, Texas, Miracles from Heaven is all about a miracle that saved Anna from a life of pain and hospital visits.
When Anna (Kylie Rogers) is diagnosed with pseudo-obstruction motility disorder, a disorder with no cure that causes the intestines to stop moving food through the body, Anna and her family’s life is thrust into uncertainty with regular hospital visits, long working hours and maxed credit cards ruling their lives. But everything changes when Anna falls through a hollow tree and is stuck down the bottom, unconscious, and fighting to stay alive.
Miracles from Heaven has everything; the questioning of faith, forgetful parents, suffering, love, and everything else you would expect to find in a film about a young girl getting sick. Following in the footsteps of Heaven is for Real, a Sony Pictures Entertainment film from 2014 that did exceptionally well at the box office, Miracles from Heaven has everything it needs to make a killing in theatres. Despite not quite being on the emotional rollercoaster level that tore you to pieces in My Sister Keeper, the film manages to draw even the most cynical into the story and take them on a journey filled with religiosity, devotion, and miracles.
Jennifer Garner has nailed her performance as the protective, caring, and devoutly Christian mother of Anna. Not to forget Kylie Rogers who at the age of 12 performed well beyond her years; captivating and invoking a whole range of emotions in the audience. Martin Henderson gave a solid but not brilliant performance as Kevin Beam, Anna’s father. In comparison to the relatively strong performances given by the actors, the actual story of Miracles from Heaven is a little weak. It feels drawn out in places, and it seems to end abruptly. Despite this, it is easy to see how this film could be a favourite among audiences; tugging at the heart strings and creating an emotional experience for everyone watching.
The film is filled with religious reference; in every scene there is some sort of reference to heaven and God. From Garner’s character gazing up to the heavens through a window in the ceiling to when Anna wishes she was dead, and the shot pans to the doors with an exit sign. Despite the film being filled with religious allusions, the questioning of God and faith is a predominant theme in Miracles of Heaven.
Miracles from Heaven is a beautiful story of a little girl who is saved from a life of pain and suffering by a frightening accident. With wonderful performances from Rogers and Garner, the film is incredibly harrowing and sometimes difficult to watch, but ultimately Miracles from Heaven is a wonderful, heart warming film.
