Movie Review: Heaven Is For Real

Okay, so . . .  The title of the movie isn't great, but it's based on a book.  So the title of the book isn't great.  BUT!  Don't let that stop you from watching the movie!

Watch the trailer first, and then I'll tell you my thoughts:



It's pretty darn good.  Often, I'll say this about movies dealing with religious content:  "It was pretty good for a religious movie."  Not so with "Heaven Is For Real."  I really enjoyed it.  It isn't overly dramatic or sentimental, as many Christian movies are, and I think the reason is the acting.  Greg Kinnear plays a great dad and a down-to-earth pastor, and Kelly Reilly plays his smart and sometimes sassy wife.  Together, they make for a believable onscreen couple that kisses and argues.

The movie also isn't heavy-handed with gospel doctrine.  It's simply a story about a boy who experienced heaven.  That's it.  If you want to know what his experience was like, then you should watch it.


Note: Although the boy and his family don't belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I think this movie portrays a fairly accurate Mormon perspective on heaven.  It's a pretty good start, anyway.  Three things, in particular, stood out to me: 1) Christ has a resurrected, physical body of flesh and bone; 2) People have perfected bodies in heaven (i.e., no diseases or disorders); and 3) Heaven looks like Earth, but is more beautiful and more wonderful.


Things I'm thankful for: The two most important gifts and principles of the gospel: agency and the atonement of Jesus Christ.  Happy Easter, everybody!