Miracles from Heaven: Movie Review

A follow-up to their 2014 celestial film, Heaven Is For Real, producers T.D. Jakes and DeVon Franklin worked with director Patricia Riggen (The 33) to bring this unreal true story to the big screen in time for Easter.

Based on Christy Beam's first-hand account from her 2015 book, Miracles from Heaven retells the incredible circumstances that led to 10-year-old daughter Annabel's supernatural healing.

When we meet the Beams, life is pretty good. Christy (Jennifer Garner) and Kevin Beam (Martin Henderson) live in a small Texas town with their three daughters, Abbie (Brighton Sharbino), Annabel (Kylie Rogers), and Adelynn (Courtney Fansler). They're a church-going family that loves their faith community.

Suddenly, it all goes wrong. Annabel becomes deathly ill and none of the local doctors have any answers. Eventually diagnosed with an incurable disease, Annabel looks destined to live in excruciating pain. That is until a freak accident changes everything.

Garner's solid performance as Christy lifts Miracles from Heaven up a couple of notches on the quality scale. The supporting cast holds steady, though Queen Latifah's contribution feels underutilized. Unfortunately, the movie plots along and feels a bit formulaic.

What helps is the spiritual richness that certainly comes from the movie's source material. Its rich themes of family, faith, and healing make it worth seeing. Believers will especially appreciate watching unsettling doubt turn to unshakable faith.

Rated PG for thematic elements, including accident and medical images, Miracles from Heaven is appropriate for almost the entire family. It will not keep the attention of kids under the age of six or so, and the medical emergency moments might be too scary for the little ones.

Christian audiences will love this Sony Pictures/Affirm Films release for its family and faith values. However, the film's weak spots will disappoint discerning moviegoers.