Heaven Is for Real (2014)
TOMATOMETER
Critics Consensus: Heaven Is for Real boasts a well-written screenplay and a talented cast, but overextends itself with heavy-handed sequences depicting concepts it could have trusted the audience to take on faith.
Critics Consensus: Heaven Is for Real boasts a well-written screenplay and a talented cast, but overextends itself with heavy-handed sequences depicting concepts it could have trusted the audience to take on faith.
Trailer
ADVERTISEMENT
Movie Info
Based on the #1 New York Times best-selling book of the same name, HEAVEN IS FOR REAL brings to the screen the true story of a small-town father who must find the courage and conviction to share his son's extraordinary, life-changing experience with the world. The film stars Academy Award (R) nominee and Emmy (R) award winning actor Greg Kinnear as Todd Burpo and co-stars Kelly Reilly as Sonja Burpo, the real-life couple whose son Colton (newcomer Connor Corum) claims to have visited Heaven … More- Rating:
- PG (for thematic material including some medical situations)
- Genre:
- Drama
- Directed By:
- Randall Wallace
- Written By:
- Christopher Parker
- In Theaters:
- Apr 16, 2014 Wide
- On DVD:
- Jul 22, 2014
- US Box Office:
- $91.4M
Cast
-
Greg Kinnear
as Todd Burpo -
Kelly Reilly
as Sonja Burpo -
Connor Corum
as Colton Burpo -
Margo Martindale
as Nancy Rawling -
Thomas Haden Church
as Jay Wilkins -
Lane Styles
as Cassie Burpo
Related News & Features
-
Critics Consensus: Transcendence is a Sci-Fi Snooze
– Rotten Tomatoes
Heaven Is for Real Videos
Friend Ratings
No Friends? Inconceivable! Log in to see what your friends have to say.
Critic Reviews for Heaven Is for Real
All Critics (80) | Top Critics (24) | Fresh (37) | Rotten (43)
Unlikely to convert any skeptics, but if they wander into the multiplex, they'll find that that the prettily photographed sermon goes down easily.
This is a big-tent Christian film that wriggles around a lot seeking to accommodate multiple varieties of religious experience, and ends up terminally infected with the virus of postmodern relativism.
A well-acted, family-friendly and timely movie for Easter audiences that is just as much about appreciating life on Earth as it is about what comes after.
There's no antagonist, no resolution, and no real climax - just a series of mildly charming scenes in which Colton shares heavenly knowledge while his family reacts with awestruck tears.
Kinnear does an excellent job of capturing Burpo's obvious dilemma and the turmoil he and his wife endure as they work through this critical time in the life of their family.
Whatever works.
A smooth, easygoing film that will please its target audience, even if it doesn't quite reach the heavenly heights of other inspirational efforts in the faith-based genre.
It's really just more numbing propaganda.
Christians may shout hallelujah that faith-based films are arriving in theaters, but believers should pray for something much better.
While the film makes decent use of the plains of Nebraska to give us a portrait of smalltown Red States America, there's a hectoring, insincere feel to this project that renders it practically unwatchable.
You'd think any movie that an all-powerful deity had a hand in would be awesome, right? Turns out, not so much. There's barely even a story here.
This latest spot of cinevangelism at least sports a theatrical heft ...
...a bottom-of-the-barrel drama that's been geared towards the lowest common denominator.
Heaven Is for Real works in mysterious ways for a faith-based movie. It actually leaves room for doubt, in a genre founded on Christian absolutes. Tears aren't jerked; Bibles aren't thumped. Believing gets easier.
...will no doubt fill a niche, but a more satisfying movie could have been made had the filmmakers followed Iris DeMent's advice and simply let the mystery be.
The movie's visions of a greenscreen afterlife of digital angels and a Jesus who resembles Dan Fogelberg on the cover of the 'Greatest Hits' album is more trite than inspiring, yet the film is smart enough to recognize the weirdness of its premise
What did Colton Burpo experience? 'Heaven is for Real,' based on the best-selling book 'Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy's Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back,' is a gentle, heartfelt movie that allows viewers to decide for themselves.
It's not great filmmaking, or even good filmmaking for that matter, but you may find yourself saying "Amen" nevertheless.
Don't be fooled, it's not hope or love that Heaven Is For Real is peddling. It's a divisive paean to a bogus cultural divide created by a coalition of opportunists who don't mind making money selling that same poisonous lie.
Things get sticky when the film changes the actual content of Colton's visions, and the lessons that both Colton and his father draw from those visions.
A sermon. Some will get it, and for those who don't it doesn't matter.
The "heaven" experience is not presented as a shocker but rather as a true event that happened to a family; that makes this a movie that all audiences will enjoy.
The earnest performances aren't enough to elevate the vanilla narrative from a faith-based film that will only preach to the choir.
Audience Reviews for Heaven Is for Real
"Heaven is for Real" is based on a book about a boy who tells his Dad about his experience in heaven while he is being operated on. The movie asks a very interesting question. If you knew heaven was real, like had proof, would it scare you? I think that's fascinating, and unfortunately, a lot more fascinating than the movie. This movie was very flat for me, and borderline boring. I don't mind faith based movies at all, but a movie is meant for entertainment. This just seemed to go nowhere, and probably much better suited as a book than a film. The acting was decent at best. I hate to criticize a child actor, but the boy in this movie is not very good at all. He comes off as really awkward and uncomfortable with zero charisma. Again, I feel bad for saying that, but it's true. Had a different child actor been in that role, this may have been much better. Disappointing for me, however, quite a few Christians that I know, Loved this movie. Good for them, and I'm glad this works for it's target audience. So, if you're into these types of movies, check it out. Otherwise, I'd say just read the book.
MoreSuper Reviewer
What's wrong with preaching to the choir? A pastor and his family try to accept that their youngest member might've had a spiritual experience. The foundation for this film is the depiction of middle American lifestyles and Kinnear's performance as a preacher in difficult straits. There are no surprises here and everything plays out pretty much as you'd expect and therein is the flaw of the piece ... they needed to present a surprising twist somewhere here to overcome their own obviousness. Still worthwhile, particularly for choir members.
MoreSuper Reviewer
Christian movies have been lighting up the U.S. box-office this year. First there was Son of God, which opened at over $30 million dollars for what is essentially a retread of what people could see for free on TV. Then there was Noah, the Biblical epic given a new life with modern special effects magic. Then the little indie that could, God's Not Dead, which continues to hang around the box-office, collecting astonishing sums. Now in time for Easter is Heaven is For Real based upon the best-selling book of the same name. Adapted and directed by Randall Wallace (Secretariat, Braveheart), the film manages to be emotional, earnest, and efficient, even despite not really having the elements needed to be called a film.
Todd Burpo (Greg Kinnear) is the pastor for a small town in rural Nebraska. He and his wife Sonja (Kelly Reilly) are struggling to pay the bills and care for their two children, Cassie (Lane Styles) and Colton (Connor Corum). One fateful day, Colton is rushed to the hospital with a burst appendix. He makes it through the operation. Afterwards, he tells his family the amazing news that while unconscious he visited heaven. The Burpos are ready to dismiss their son's experience as a response common to those who went through near-death experiences, except little Colton never died on the operating table. Todd is unsure what to do with his son's information, including key knowledge that he has no Earthly way of knowing. The members of Todd's church worry about trusting the child's account, and are wary of the media circus, and may just hire a new pastor for all the trouble caused by Colton's confession.
Kinder and gentler, here is a movie that has an inclusive, positive message executed with earnest conviction. The drama isn't subtle but it can be effective. The music rises, the actors crinkle their faces and get tears in their eyes, and you're left feeling like there's something in your own eye. It may be manipulative in some sense but it's so well executed, and without any hint of pretension or agenda, that I really didn't mind. It's a heartfelt movie that could fervently inspire the masses that pack the theater. I'd much rather have any Christian consumers, or the curious, check out this well-meaning movie than the mean-spirited and spurious God's Not Dead. This movie actually allows its characters to feel like regular people who exist in our world. Todd and Sonja have a sex life, and the Burpo family doesn't just sing famous Christian tunes in the car, they'll shout Queen at the top of their lungs. In other words, they're a fairly normal Midwestern family, and I appreciated that the movie didn't feel the need to sanctify them. The supporting characters also have dollops of depth to them, at least in the hands of actors like Thomas Haden Church (so wonderfully deadpan) and Margo Martindale (her sorrow fermenting into bitterness). Heaven is for Real is anchored by two strong performances by Kinnear (The Last Song) and Reilly (Flight) as the parents. Both of these actors get a wealth of emotions to play, a few crying scenes, one angry outburst, and they sell it all, never overplaying the emotions of the scene, gently grounding the film with compassion.
I suppose in some capacity this film could be the more religious version of The Sixth Sense. It's about a gifted child who sees things others cannot and who battles with being taken seriously by the scolding adults. We know that he's going to say something he should not know, the adults would gasp and say, "How did you know that? There's no possible way," and then we'll repeat this process. It reminded me of when young Haley Joel Osment finally gets through to his mother when he tells her that grandma saw her dance and is proud of her. Just add a dash of non-denominational Christianity.
The problem is that there really isn't a movie here. Heaven is For Real is comforting and earnest, but there just isn't a story here that translates into the structure and form of a film, and it shows. First off, there really isn't much in the way of authentic conflict here. After Colton is saved, the only real conflict is whether to believe what he experienced. This setup could work in the scheme of a movie if his parents were not believers; thus their arc is one that goes from disbelief to belief. However, the movie already begins with the Burpos as good Christian folk. Todd is the town's pastor for crying out loud, so you'd think he wouldn't be troubled with his own set of doubts. These are also rather good people. In the opening scenes, despite being behind on bills, Todd refuses to charge someone for his garage-repair services and accepts free carpet instead. In the end, when Todd is preaching and talking about his own journey and how prideful he was back at the start, I'm left wondering what he's talking about. I suppose he didn't have to try and run to third base in that church softball game, but is that really all we have to go on? Would staying on second symbolize his lack of faith? What I'm saying is that the Burpos don't really travel on a character arc, so their squabbles over their son feel forced. More so, the struggles with Todd's church feel the most inauthentic. I just don't get it. The pastor's kid says he went to heaven, and the congregation has members that are mad, but mad at what? Should the pastor, who preaches about heaven for a living, dispute his son, especially when the boy possesses extraordinary knowledge? I don't understand what the conflict is here and neither does the movie, which doesn't really adhere to a three-act structure, and just sort of ends without much preparation. People just believe. End. Why did it take this long? It's not like these people are stone-cold atheists.
It's that lacking sense of urgency, let alone goals or a central through line, which makes me question how Heaven is For Real spends its time. Why does the movie choose to spend as much time on scenes that don't seem to matter? The first act is spent with such dramatic moments as... Todd playing softball and breaking his leg (the one thing that pushes the film into PG material). And from that... a completely unrelated kidney stone infection. Then from there... the family takes a trip to the Denver zoo. I was getting restless myself that this kid was never going to get to heaven. I kept waiting for these moments to have consequence, like how the Burpo kids fall ill after visiting the zoo. Aha, it must be connected to the zoo (monkey pox!). Nope, it's his appendix rupturing. Very little of the pre-heavenly visit looks to have any bearing on the overall plot, instead providing texture to the family life. I suppose Todd passing the kidney stones was meant to be a comedic excursion (Jay says the average is passing 15 stones - that is too insane for me to believe at face value). Why kind of hours does Todd have for his family when he's a minister, a full-time job, repairs garage doors as a second job, then volunteers as a firefighter AND coaches a high school wrestling team? He's got way too much on his plate but objects to the idea of his wife getting a job. What purpose does Todd seeing a psychiatrist on short notice serve other than allowing an externalization of his internal doubts? I'll let that one slide, but they never come back to the psychiatrist. Too much of the movie feels like padding and stalling until the non-conflict reaches its end.
Wallace also shows a lack of faith in his own audience. By choosing to visualize the heavenly sequences, though brief they are, the movie risks being goofy, as whatever man can derive will never be comparable. If the whole movie is about whether or not to accept Colton's story on faith, why do we have to have dramatizations of his story? Isn't that cheating? The heavenly sequences don't really add much oomph to the story any way. Colton goes to church, watches vaguely humanoid angels bathed in light hover and sing. He asks them to play "We Will Rock You." The angels laugh but they don't play the classic Queen rock song/universal sports anthem. Is it a matter of taste, angels? Who doesn't like Queen? Then Jesus shows up and walks Colton outside. Other than a visual glimpse of Colton hugging his dead sister, that's it. The other issue with depicting heaven onscreen, or something close to it, is that we can start picking it apart. Just ask Peter Jackson and his miscalculated Lovely Bones. If everyone is young in heaven, as Colton observes, then do we get a say in what our prime age is? I personally think George Clooney is a more handsome man as he ages than back in his E.R. days. And why does Jesus have to dress in the standard robes and sandals of 2000 years ago? Couldn't he wear something more casual? Just imagine: Jesus relaxing in the pajama jeans. Then there's Colton coming across his departed sister, who died at eight months, but is represented by a 6-8-year-old girl. Does this mean she's going to be like that for eternity? Does she not get to choose to be an adult? See what I mean about picking it apart?
Its heart is in the right place, its message is inclusive and positive, and ultimately Heaven is For Real preaches about making life on Earth just as significant as the one after, and so I can say that the film is a relatively inoffensive and effective drama. It isn't enough to say heaven is for real; the movie challenges the audience to do more. It doesn't go overboard into maudlin territory, though it comes close enough with some of the wistful child acting. There really isn't much of a movie here, and some of the choices seem to backfire, but it's saved by its sense of earnestness, compassion, and some above average acting. Amidst the glut of evangelical movies this spring, I'd recommend Heaven is For Real above the rest (I'm excluding Noah from this list). It's a thoroughly nice movie, and a film that should inspire its core audience, but in a good way, unlike God's Not Dead. I can't exactly say that this is a movie that needed to be made, especially from the cut-and-dry source material, but there's a level of skepticism and reality imposed on what could easily be transformed into a blunt outreach piece. Even though the outcome is never in doubt, there's an intelligence to the craft here that is much appreciated. Heaven is For Real may not be a great movie, but it works well enough as a movie when it shouldn't, and that's enough of a success in my book.
Nate's Grade: B-
Super Reviewer
Heaven is for Real is based on the non-fiction book of the same name by Todd Burpo and best selling conservative writer Lynn Vincent. It was a true story so maybe the negative reaction that Connor's chronicle received from the congregation at the time was what actually happened, Yet it was a #1 New York Times hit so it obviously touched a lot of hearts outside the religious world. The boy's experiences should prompt more probing questions. He saw Jesus for goodness sakes! At least he believes he did, why aren't people in the Church more excited? Regardless of your personal beliefs in the afterlife, it seems like this bestseller should have inspired a more uplifting tale. This could have been the seed for a galvanizing discussion that Christians, non-Christians, atheists and agnostics could have regarding the concept of heaven. The 1977 picture Oh, God! dealt with this subject in a much more innovative way. In contrast here we are nearly 4 decades later and we're presented a fascinating story that is handled in the most utterly routine fashion. It doesn't probe enough to inspire the faithful, the skeptics or anyone in between.
fastfilmreviews.com
Super Reviewer
Heaven Is for Real Quotes
- Colton Burpo:
- Jesus rides a rainbow colored horse!
- Nancy Rawling:
- You don't have to save the world, Todd. I believe that's already been done.
- Todd Burpo:
- God crushed my pride and opened my heart to love and I have to do. The one thing love requires is to let others know they are not alone.
- Todd Burpo:
- If heaven is for real, wouldn't we all live different lives?
Discussion Forum
Discuss Heaven Is for Real on our Movie forum!