''Miracles from Heaven'' is a 2016 American
Christian drama film
In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super ...
directed by
Patricia Riggen
Patricia Riggen (born June 2, 1970) is a Mexican film director. She is best known for directing the 2007 film ''Under the Same Moon'' and the 2011 Disney Channel original film '' Lemonade Mouth''.
Early life and career beginnings
Riggen was bor ...
and written by Randy Brown. It is based on ''
Miracles from Heaven'' by Christy Beam, which recounts the true story of her young daughter who had a
near-death experience
A near-death experience (NDE) is a profound personal experience associated with death or impending death which researchers claim share similar characteristics. When positive, such experiences may encompass a variety of sensations including detac ...
and was later cured of an incurable disease. The film stars
Jennifer Garner
Jennifer Anne Garner (born April 17, 1972) is an American actress. Born in Houston, Texas, and raised in Charleston, West Virginia, Garner studied theater at Denison University and began acting as an understudy for the Roundabout Theatre Compa ...
,
Kylie Rogers
Kylie Rogers is an American actress, best known for playing the role of Minx Lawrence in '' The Whispers''. She also stars as Anna Beam in ''Miracles from Heaven''. Since 2018, Rogers has a recurring role as the younger version of the main charac ...
,
Martin Henderson
Martin Henderson (born 8 October 1974) is a New Zealand actor. He is known for his roles on the American medical drama series '' Off the Map'' as Dr. Ben Keeton (2011), the medical drama series ''Grey's Anatomy'' as Dr. Nathan Riggs (2015–201 ...
,
John Carroll Lynch
John Carroll Lynch (born August 1, 1963) is an American character actor and film director. He first gained notice for his role as Norm Gunderson in '' Fargo'' (1996). He is also known for his television work on the ABC sitcom '' The Drew Carey ...
,
Eugenio Derbez
Eugenio González Derbez (; born September 2, 1961) is a Mexican actor and comedian. He has appeared in many films and television series including '' The Book of Life, The Angry Birds Movie 2 and The Secret Life of Pets.''
In the 2010s, he ap ...
, and
Queen Latifah
Dana Elaine Owens (born March 18, 1970), known professionally as Queen Latifah, is an American rapper, actress, and singer. Born in Newark, New Jersey, she signed with Tommy Boy Records in 1989 and released her debut album '' All Hail the Qu ...
.
Principal photography
Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production.
Personnel
Besides the main film personnel, such as a ...
began in
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
,
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
, in July 2015. The film was released on March 16, 2016. The movie was financially successful, becoming the 8th highest-grossing
Christian film
The Christian film industry is an aspect of Christian media for films containing a Christian-themed message or moral. They are often interdenominational films, but can also be films targeting a specific denomination of Christianity.
Criteria
P ...
in the United States. Although critical reception was mixed, Garner's performance earned general praise.
Plot
Set in
Burleson,
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
, between 2007 and 2012, the film centers on little girl Anna (
Kylie Rogers
Kylie Rogers is an American actress, best known for playing the role of Minx Lawrence in '' The Whispers''. She also stars as Anna Beam in ''Miracles from Heaven''. Since 2018, Rogers has a recurring role as the younger version of the main charac ...
), daughter of Christy Beam (
Jennifer Garner
Jennifer Anne Garner (born April 17, 1972) is an American actress. Born in Houston, Texas, and raised in Charleston, West Virginia, Garner studied theater at Denison University and began acting as an understudy for the Roundabout Theatre Compa ...
). One day, Anna starts to vomit, and when examined by her doctor, he does not find anything abnormal. On March 20, 2008, Anna wakes up her family at midnight due to intense stomach pain, severe enough so her parents take her to the hospital. Doctors find no signs of illness, perhaps either
acid reflux
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) is one of the upper gastrointestinal chronic diseases where stomach content persistently and regularly flows up into the esophagus, resulting in symptoms and/ ...
, or
lactose intolerance
Lactose intolerance is a common condition caused by a decreased ability to digest lactose, a sugar found in dairy products. Those affected vary in the amount of lactose they can tolerate before symptoms develop. Symptoms may include abdominal pai ...
, but Christy is incredulous.
The following morning, Christy finally finds a pediatrician in the hospital able to diagnose Anna with an
abdominal obstruction, and he tells them he must operate immediately or she will die. After emergency surgery, the doctor explains that Anna has been left with
intestinal pseudo-obstruction and she is unable to eat, so
feeding tubes are needed for her nutrition. The doctor then tells the Beams about America's foremost pediatric gastroenterologist, Dr. Samuel Nurko (
Eugenio Derbez
Eugenio González Derbez (; born September 2, 1961) is a Mexican actor and comedian. He has appeared in many films and television series including '' The Book of Life, The Angry Birds Movie 2 and The Secret Life of Pets.''
In the 2010s, he ap ...
) in Boston, but explains it could take months for them to be seen. In January 2009, Christy and Anna travel to
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
despite not having an appointment with him.
Dr. Nurko has a last minute opening, and when Anna is subsequently examined at
Boston Children's Hospital
Boston Children's Hospital formerly known as Children's Hospital Boston until 2012 is a nationally ranked, freestanding acute care children's hospital located in Boston, Massachusetts, adjacent both to its teaching affiliate, Harvard Medical Scho ...
, the extent of her chronic illness is found. She then goes through extensive treatment. During this ordeal, Anna and her mother befriend local Massachusetts resident Angela Bradford (
Queen Latifah
Dana Elaine Owens (born March 18, 1970), known professionally as Queen Latifah, is an American rapper, actress, and singer. Born in Newark, New Jersey, she signed with Tommy Boy Records in 1989 and released her debut album '' All Hail the Qu ...
), as well as Ben (
Wayne Péré) and his daughter, Haley (
Hannah Alligood) who has terminal cancer.
On December 29, 2011, Anna and her bigger sister Abbie (
Brighton Sharbino
Brighton Rosie Sharbino (born August 19, 2002) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Lizzie Samuels on the AMC television series '' The Walking Dead''.
Early life
Sharbino is from Flower Mound, Texas. Her siblings Saxon a ...
), climb up to a very high branch of an old cotton tree. While on the branch, it begins to break. Anna goes to the trunk for safety, whereupon stepping on it, she falls into the hollowed out center to the base of the tree.
When Christy finds out what happened, she desperately calls her husband Kevin (
Martin Henderson
Martin Henderson (born 8 October 1974) is a New Zealand actor. He is known for his roles on the American medical drama series '' Off the Map'' as Dr. Ben Keeton (2011), the medical drama series ''Grey's Anatomy'' as Dr. Nathan Riggs (2015–201 ...
), as well as the fire department. Anna is then rescued by the firefighters, who warn Christy to expect the worst, saying that nobody could fall 30 feet without sustaining a serious injury, broken bones or paralysis. Once out, Anna is airlifted to a hospital, where a battery of tests are run, and all of them come back negative. Other than a minor concussion, Anna is uninjured.
Sometime after the fall, Anna seems to no longer be affected by her illness. When Christy and Anna go to an appointment with Dr. Nurko, he tells Christy that she is miraculously cured. Anna then recounts with her parents her experience during the fall. She describes how her soul left her body during the fall, and God promised that she would be cured of her illness upon her return to Earth.
At church, Christy shares the story of how God miraculously healed her daughter with His love. As Christy finishes her speech, one of the congregation protests, stating that he does not believe her. Ben, who has traveled from Boston upon hearing the story about Anna, believes her. He also shares that Haley died peacefully as Anna gave her faith when in the hospital (Anna is saddened by this news because Haley was a dear friend).
In the end, the Beams spend some quality time together and Christy says to always believe in miracles.
Cast
*
Kylie Rogers
Kylie Rogers is an American actress, best known for playing the role of Minx Lawrence in '' The Whispers''. She also stars as Anna Beam in ''Miracles from Heaven''. Since 2018, Rogers has a recurring role as the younger version of the main charac ...
as Anna Beam
*
Jennifer Garner
Jennifer Anne Garner (born April 17, 1972) is an American actress. Born in Houston, Texas, and raised in Charleston, West Virginia, Garner studied theater at Denison University and began acting as an understudy for the Roundabout Theatre Compa ...
as Christy Beam, Anna's mother
*
Martin Henderson
Martin Henderson (born 8 October 1974) is a New Zealand actor. He is known for his roles on the American medical drama series '' Off the Map'' as Dr. Ben Keeton (2011), the medical drama series ''Grey's Anatomy'' as Dr. Nathan Riggs (2015–201 ...
as Dr. Kevin Beam, Christy's husband and Anna's father
*
Eugenio Derbez
Eugenio González Derbez (; born September 2, 1961) is a Mexican actor and comedian. He has appeared in many films and television series including '' The Book of Life, The Angry Birds Movie 2 and The Secret Life of Pets.''
In the 2010s, he ap ...
as Dr. Nurko, a pediatric gastroenterologist who is Anna's doctor at the Boston Children's Hospital.
*
Queen Latifah
Dana Elaine Owens (born March 18, 1970), known professionally as Queen Latifah, is an American rapper, actress, and singer. Born in Newark, New Jersey, she signed with Tommy Boy Records in 1989 and released her debut album '' All Hail the Qu ...
as Angela, a waitress who befriends Anna and her mother in a restaurant in Boston
*
Brighton Sharbino
Brighton Rosie Sharbino (born August 19, 2002) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Lizzie Samuels on the AMC television series '' The Walking Dead''.
Early life
Sharbino is from Flower Mound, Texas. Her siblings Saxon a ...
as Abbie Beam, the oldest Beam daughter
* Courtney Fansler as Adelynn Beam, the youngest Beam daughter
* Zach Sale as Dr. Blyth, the first doctor to listen to Christy about her sick daughter
* Kelly Collins Lintz as Emmy, a family friend of the Beams
*
John Carroll Lynch
John Carroll Lynch (born August 1, 1963) is an American character actor and film director. He first gained notice for his role as Norm Gunderson in '' Fargo'' (1996). He is also known for his television work on the ABC sitcom '' The Drew Carey ...
as Reverend Scott, the senior pastor of the Beam family's church
* Brandon Spink as Billy Snyder, a friend of Anna
*
Hannah Alligood as Haley, a cancer patient who becomes friends with Anna and later dies offscreen
*
Wayne Péré as Ben, Haley's father
*
Bruce Altman
Bruce Altman (born July 3, 1955) is an American film and television actor. He is a graduate of the Yale School of Drama.
Early life
Altman was born in The Bronx, New York. He is of Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish ...
as Dr. Burgi, Anna's doctor who is the head of the pediatric division at the hospital in Texas
* Suehyla El-Attar as a receptionist at the Boston Children's hospital
The real Beam family makes a cameo at the end of the film before the credits.
Production
On November 10, 2014, ''
The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly larg ...
'' reported that
Sony Pictures Entertainment had acquired the film adaptation rights to a faith-based memoir, ''
Miracles From Heaven: A Little Girl, Her Journey to Heaven, and Her Amazing Story of Healing'', written by Christy Beam, and hired Randy Brown to write the script.
The team behind the studios' 2014 Christian film ''
Heaven Is for Real'',
T. D. Jakes and
Joe Roth
Joseph Emanuel Roth is an American film executive, producer and director. He co-founded Morgan Creek Productions in 1988 and was chairman of 20th Century Fox (1989–1993), Caravan Pictures (1993–1994), and Walt Disney Studios (1994–20 ...
, were retained to produce the film along with
DeVon Franklin.
On April 8, 2015, the studio hired
Patricia Riggen
Patricia Riggen (born June 2, 1970) is a Mexican film director. She is best known for directing the 2007 film ''Under the Same Moon'' and the 2011 Disney Channel original film '' Lemonade Mouth''.
Early life and career beginnings
Riggen was bor ...
to direct the film. On April 30, 2015,
Jennifer Garner
Jennifer Anne Garner (born April 17, 1972) is an American actress. Born in Houston, Texas, and raised in Charleston, West Virginia, Garner studied theater at Denison University and began acting as an understudy for the Roundabout Theatre Compa ...
was cast to star in the film as Christy Beam.
On June 22, 2015, ''The Hollywood Reporter'' reported that
Queen Latifah
Dana Elaine Owens (born March 18, 1970), known professionally as Queen Latifah, is an American rapper, actress, and singer. Born in Newark, New Jersey, she signed with Tommy Boy Records in 1989 and released her debut album '' All Hail the Qu ...
was cast as a waitress who befriends Anna and Beam at the Boston Children's Hospital.
On the same day, ''
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' confirmed the casting of
Martin Henderson
Martin Henderson (born 8 October 1974) is a New Zealand actor. He is known for his roles on the American medical drama series '' Off the Map'' as Dr. Ben Keeton (2011), the medical drama series ''Grey's Anatomy'' as Dr. Nathan Riggs (2015–201 ...
to play the girl's father and Beam's husband.
On June 29, 2015,
Kylie Rogers
Kylie Rogers is an American actress, best known for playing the role of Minx Lawrence in '' The Whispers''. She also stars as Anna Beam in ''Miracles from Heaven''. Since 2018, Rogers has a recurring role as the younger version of the main charac ...
was cast as Beam's sick daughter Anna.
On July 17, 2015,
Eugenio Derbez
Eugenio González Derbez (; born September 2, 1961) is a Mexican actor and comedian. He has appeared in many films and television series including '' The Book of Life, The Angry Birds Movie 2 and The Secret Life of Pets.''
In the 2010s, he ap ...
was cast to play a character inspired by Children's Hospital specialist Dr. Samuel Nurko, an American-based Mexican pediatric gastroenterologist who eases his young patients' treatment by playing games with them.
John Carroll Lynch
John Carroll Lynch (born August 1, 1963) is an American character actor and film director. He first gained notice for his role as Norm Gunderson in '' Fargo'' (1996). He is also known for his television work on the ABC sitcom '' The Drew Carey ...
was also cast in the film as the pastor.
Filming
Principal photography
Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production.
Personnel
Besides the main film personnel, such as a ...
on the film began in
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
,
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
, in July 2015. David R. Sandefur and Emma E. Hickox were appointed as production designer and editor, respectively.
On August 2, 2015, Latifah and Garner were spotted on the set of film in Atlanta.
Soundtrack
The ''Miracles from Heaven'' soundtrack features songs from Howie Day,
George Harrison, Clayton Anderson,
Third Day
Third Day was a Christian rock band formed in Marietta, Georgia during the 1990s. The band was founded by lead singer Mac Powell, guitarist Mark Lee (both of whom were the only constant members) and Billy Wilkins. Drummer David Carr was the ...
and others. The southern Christian rock band
Third Day
Third Day was a Christian rock band formed in Marietta, Georgia during the 1990s. The band was founded by lead singer Mac Powell, guitarist Mark Lee (both of whom were the only constant members) and Billy Wilkins. Drummer David Carr was the ...
made a cameo as the church worship band.
Release
On May 11, 2015, the film was scheduled for a March 18, 2016 release by
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the mu ...
. On January 10, it was moved up two days later to March 16. The film held its world premiere on February 21, 2016, in
Dallas, Texas
Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...
.
Home media
''Miracles from Heaven'' was released on Digital Media on June 21, 2016, and was followed by a
DVD
The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...
,
Blu-ray
The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and capable of st ...
, and
4K Ultra HD
Ultra-high-definition television (also known as Ultra HD television, Ultra HD, UHDTV, UHD and Super Hi-Vision) today includes 4K UHD and 8K UHD, which are two digital video formats with an aspect ratio of 16:9. These were first proposed by ...
release on July 12, 2016, from AFFIRM Films and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. The film debuted in second place on the home video sales chart behind ''
The Divergent Series: Allegiant'' for the week ending on July 17, 2016.
Reception
Box office
''Miracles from Heaven'' grossed $61.7 million in North America and $12.2 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $73.9 million, against a budget of $13 million.
The film grossed $1.9 million on its first day, finishing second at the box office behind ''
Zootopia
''Zootopia'' (titled ''Zootropolis'' in various regions) is a 2016 American computer-animated buddy cop action comedy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The 55th Disney animated feature film, ...
'' ($4.6 million).
[ The film had an $18 million Wednesday-to-Sunday gross, including $14.8 million in its opening weekend, finishing third at the box office behind ''Zootopia'' ($37.2 million) and '' The Divergent Series: Allegiant'' ($29 million).
On its opening weekend in the United Kingdom, ''Miracles from Heaven'' grossed $29 thousand, dropping to $231 by week four.
]
Critical response
''Miracles from Heaven'' received generally mixed reviews from critics, with Garner's performance receiving praise. On Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
, the film has an approval rating of 45%, based on 93 reviews, with an average rating of 5.10/10. The site's consensus reads, "''Miracles from Heaven'' makes the most out of an outstanding performance from Jennifer Garner, but it isn't quite enough to keep this faith-based drama from preaching to the choir." On Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...
the film has a score of 44 out of 100, based on 20 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A+" on an A+ to F scale.
Accolades
References
External links
*
*
*
''Miracles from Heaven''
at '' History vs. Hollywood''
{{Teen Choice Award Choice Movie Drama
2016 drama films
2016 films
2010s children's drama films
American drama films
Columbia Pictures films
TriStar Pictures films
Affirm Films films
American children's drama films
Drama films based on actual events
Films about children
Films about Christianity
Films about diseases
Films about evangelicalism
Films based on non-fiction books
Films directed by Patricia Riggen
Films produced by Joe Roth
Films set in 2011
Films set in Texas
Films shot in Atlanta
Heaven and hell films
Fiction about near-death experiences
Films scored by Carlo Siliotto
2010s English-language films
2010s American films