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.
Review of Miracles from Heaven
