Miracles from Heaven
Miracles from Heaven (2016) is a Christian drama film that recounts the true story of the Beam family, focusing on Christy Beam and her daughter, Anna. Anna is diagnosed with a severe and incurable digestive disorder, leading to agonizing pain and numerous hospital visits. The narrative follows Christy's arduous journey to find a cure, which deeply challenges her faith amidst overwhelming medical and financial struggles. The film delves into themes of perseverance, the strength of family bonds, and the unwavering power of belief in the face of adversity, ultimately culminating in an unexpected event that defies medical explanation and restores hope.
Concerns
Violence
HighThe film contains significant and emotionally distressing depictions of a child's suffering due to illness and a traumatic accident. These scenes are central to the plot and portrayed with considerable emotional intensity, making them potentially upsetting.
Anna's severe illness is shown through frequent vomiting, writhing in pain, and having an enlarged stomach. She undergoes multiple painful medical procedures, including a tube being forcibly inserted into her nose and later pulled out, causing her and her mother Christy to cry. A highly intense scene depicts Anna falling 30 feet headfirst into a hollow tree. She is shown unconscious, in a "lifeless state," with blood on her face, as emergency crews work to rescue her.
Scary & Intense Content
HighThe film features highly intense and emotionally disturbing scenes related to childhood illness, medical trauma, and a life-threatening accident, making it unsuitable for very young or sensitive viewers.
The film is highly intense due to its focus on Anna's prolonged and severe illness, involving scenes of her writhing in pain, frequent vomiting, and undergoing frightening medical procedures such as having a tube forcibly inserted into her nose. Anna's traumatic fall of 30 feet into a hollow tree, where she is shown in a "lifeless state" with blood on her face, followed by a dramatic rescue, constitutes a very scary and intense sequence. The death of another child, Haley, from cancer, is also depicted and discussed.
Disrespect & Rebellion
MediumThe film includes instances of a parent exhibiting frustration and anger towards medical professionals and expressing severe doubt and anger towards God due to her child's suffering.
Christy Beam (Jennifer Garner) displays significant frustration and anger towards doctors who initially misdiagnose Anna and dismiss her concerns, leading to heated exchanges where she demands more thorough examinations. Christy's faith is severely tested by her daughter's illness, causing her to doubt God and express anger towards Him, admitting at one point that she has "lost her faith and cannot even pray."
LGBTQ & Gender Identity
LowNo explicit LGBTQ+ or gender identity themes are present in "Miracles from Heaven." The film focuses solely on the heterosexual Beam family and their experiences with illness and faith. Searches for terms like "LGBTQ characters" or "queer representation" in relation to "Miracles from Heaven" yielded no relevant content within the film.
The movie exclusively depicts the heterosexual Beam family and their traditional family structure, without any LGBTQ+ characters or storylines. There are no discussions or portrayals of sexual orientation or gender identity beyond cisgender and heterosexual individuals.
Romance and Sexual Content
LowRomantic and sexual content is minimal and limited to the portrayal of a loving, married heterosexual couple. There is no explicit sexual activity, nudity, or suggestive content.
The film depicts the loving, supportive relationship between Christy and Kevin Beam, Anna's parents, including a brief, non-sexual kiss between the married couple. Mentions of love and relationships are confined to the context of married life and family bonds, with no implied or explicit sexual activity.
Profanity
LowThe film contains very little and mild coarse language, with a few instances of exclamations made in moments of extreme shock or stress.
Parental reviews indicate there is "very little coarse language" in the film, and it is considered "very mild." Characters interject "oh my G**!" a handful of times, but these instances are presented as expressions of shock in extremely stressful situations, not as aggressive or frequent profanity.
Witchcraft & Occult
LowThe film does not contain any elements of witchcraft, sorcery, occult practices, or magic rituals. Its narrative is rooted in Christian faith and the concept of divine miracles.
The movie is a Christian drama centered on faith and miraculous healing, with no depictions or discussions of witchcraft, sorcery, or supernatural occult phenomena. Anna's "out of body" experience and subsequent conversation with God are presented as a divine miracle within a Christian framework, not as an occult or supernatural event outside of this context.
Substance Use
LowThere is no depiction or mention of illegal drug use, smoking, or excessive alcohol consumption in the film.
Parental reviews explicitly state "None of concern" regarding alcohol, drugs, and other substances. The Movieguide review confirms "no drinking; no smoking or illegal drugs" present in the film.
Anti-Christian Themes
LowThe film is explicitly a faith-based Christian drama that promotes a Christian worldview, focusing on themes of faith, miracles, and God's love. Any negative portrayal of religious figures is internal to the Christian narrative, highlighting challenges to faith rather than anti-Christian sentiment.
The movie has a "very strong Christian worldview" and is designed as a "faith-affirming drama" that witnesses to Jesus Christ, with many scenes set in churches. While some church members falsely accuse Christy and Kevin of having sin in their lives, implying it caused Anna's disease, the film's pastor refutes this, portraying such judgment as incorrect within the Christian context and emphasizing love.
Other Notes
Target Demographic
Not recommended for children under 10. Parental guidance is strongly suggested for children aged 10-13, and it is suitable for those 13 and older. This recommendation is due to the film's intense and distressing thematic material, including graphic depictions of childhood illness, painful medical procedures, and a dramatic, life-threatening accident. The emotional content can be overwhelming for younger viewers despite its uplifting message.
Additional Notes
The movie has a strong Christian worldview and explores themes of faith, doubt, and divine miracles. Parents should be prepared for discussions about suffering, illness, and the nature of miracles, especially with younger or more sensitive children. The film contrasts the family's steadfast faith with moments of severe doubt and the skepticism of others, offering opportunities for dialogue about belief and adversity. The runtime is approximately 109 minutes. The film is a standalone movie and does not have sequels or adaptations that introduce new or intensified content.
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