Make a date with a box of tissues, your mom, abuela, your aunt, your sister and cousins to go see director Patricia Riggen’s latest film, Miracles From Heaven. As you can guess from the title the story is based on a miracle along with faith and the honest accounts of a family from Texas. Miracles From Heaven is being released in 3000 theaters nationwide on March 16th by Columbia Pictures.
Jennifer Gardner, Queen Latifah, and Kylie Rogers
was adapted from a book written by Christy Beam (adapted for the screen by Randy Brown) a mother of three who’s played by Jennifer Gardner. Mrs. Beam tells a heart wrenching story about one daughter’s diagnosis of a rare illness and how she’s cured by a miracle or as Dr. Nurko (Eugenio Derbez) puts it a “spontaneous remission”.Although, it’s a religiously based film, under Riggen’s direction and the performances, what you realize is it doesn’t matter your denomination. The film is relatable simply because we’ve all experienced a time in life when there were unjust circumstances placed on good people or oneself.
Throughout the film, Mrs. Beam battles with her belief in faith. She has to watch her sweet and innocent daughter, Anna (Kylie Rogers), suffer tremendous pain. Although she is told her daughter’s illness is incurable and she may die, she never stops fighting for Anna’s survival. Mrs. Beam and Anna leave no stone unturned. So when they are referred to Dr. Nurko, a Mexican, Harvard graduate practicing in Boston, MA Mrs. Beam and Anna fly out to Boston to meet with him even though they have been waitlisted and their chances of getting an appointment with him seem impossible.
Director Patricia Riggen and Eugenio Derbez
Riggen captures Mrs. Beam strength, her drive and her vulnerabilities that allow us, the audience to connect, hence the reason we need those tissues! We also see that it is with the support of the entire Beam family, their church and complete strangers that allows both Anna and Mrs. Beam to continue to fight. Yet, once every possibility has been attempted it is when Anna stops to enjoy one of her favorite past times of climbing an old tree with her older sister that the real miracle occurs.
There are so many incredible moments in this film especially when the audience comes to realize there were small miracles happening for the Beam family all along. The beauty of those miracles is that they are disguised as just kind gestures that every human being tries to practice, yet they make the biggest impact.
What remains, as the most profound moment for me about this film, is how Riggen showcased the strong religious faith the Beam family has. There was a particular scene that resonated with me most, which was when Anna explains her interaction with God. That scene and Anna’s words will allow the audience no matter their religious background to identify with what God stands for; a divine power which allows us to experience life in ways that are unimaginable. “They won’t believe me, but they’ll get there when they get there,” it was those words that Anna spoke that will make your heart soar and believe in her, believe in faith, believe in God.
Release date: March 16th
Running Time: 109 mins.
Rated: PG
Directed by: Patricia Riggen
Production: Affirm Films Roth Films, Franklin Entertainment
Distributor: Columbia Pictures
Cast: Jennifer Gardner, Martin Henderson, Brighton Sharbino, Queen Latifah, John Caroll Lynch, Kylie Rogers, Eugenio Derbez
Screenwritter: Randy Brown – Adapted by novel written by Christy Beam Producers: DeVon Franklin, Matthew Hirsch, T.D. Jakes, Joe Roth, Zack Roth, Derrick Williams
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