April 19, 2016

By Tiffany Skelnik

“Miracles From Heaven” is a Patricia Riggen directed film based on the book of the same name by Christy Beam. The film recounts the true story of the Beam family’s fight against frightening odds, after Christy’s daughter Anna was diagnosed with a rare intestinal disorder, testing the family’s faith, and bringing out kindness in others that the family never expected.

“Miracles From Heaven” stars Jennifer Garner as Christy Beam. Garner gives an incredibly strong performance in this film as the determined mother who will do just about anything to find a cure for her daughter. The viewer is immediately placed in the same difficult position as Christy, pondering the questions in the same way that she does as the story progresses.

Kylie Rogers, the young actress who plays Anna, rises to the occasion and matches Garner’s performance. You can see the fear and the strength of this little girl in Rogers’ performance. She manages to portray Anna’s faith in a way that never crosses into the unbelievable for a child her age, and the fight to keep that faith in a terrifying situation is where Rogers shines the most. Queen Latifah’s performance as Angela, a waitress who becomes a fast friend to mother and daughter, brings hope and fun to the bleak situation. Latifah gives her character a kind and a maternal quality that acts as a guiding force for both Anna and Christy Beam. Her performance adds humor to some of the film’s more terrifying and sad moments.

Martin Henderson, who plays Christy’s husband Kevin, brings a different side to the struggle. Henderson brings a quiet support and level of trust that never wavers. He is a sounding board for much of Christy’s struggle, and his performance shows the different forms of grief that parents take on in situations like these. The contrast between Christy and Kevin in terms of how they deal with the uncertainty of Anna’s situation provides much of the film’s strongest moments.

The film itself is an interesting exploration of faith and miracles, but besides that, it is a great portrayal of kindness. It demonstrates what generosity and the support of family can do. The message surrounding kindness and the strength of family is one that should not be missed. I highly recommend this film.

skeltiff@my.dom.edu