MOVIE REVIEW: Heaven is (for) Real

MOVIE REVIEW: Heaven is (for) Real

Here are some contributing factors into my opinion of the movie “Heaven is (for) Real”:

> I have not read the book,
> I have no problem with people seeing Heaven or being visited by angels or having visions of
    Jesus,
> Amy and I lost an unborn  baby after a minor car accident while she was pregnant,
> Amy’s Father died (suddenly) of a heart attack the beginning of the year and Amy’s mother has
    advanced ovarian cancer,

Not necessarily the way you want to start a movie review, but it’s my blog.

This true account is from a book of the same name.  Four-year- old Colton Burpo has a serious (life threatening) surgery during which he goes to Heaven, jokes around with angels, holds hands with Jesus, sees Jesus’ horse, and talks to a number of people.  He then wakes up, and in 4-year-old fashion, begins to talk to people about it.  This shakes up his town, church, and family, especially his struggling preacher- Dad, Todd.

Again, I have no-problem with Colton seeing Heaven and talking to Jesus.  In a way, I kind of wish John’s Revelation would have been seen by Colton, because he seems to do a better (possibly simpler) job of describing what he experienced. There is no shame, hesitation or awkwardness attached to him or his accounts. He says things like, “Hey, I like Spiderman” and “Hey, Jesus has a multi-colored horse” with interchangeable innocence.

It is the adult reactions that are so interesting.  They feel threatened, hopeful, doubtful, irritated, out-right angry, scared, amused...

People are confronted with their own beliefs about what happens when you die, is Jesus real, is Heaven an actual place or just a metaphorical/metaphysical state?

And then everyone holds hands and sings Kum-Ba-Ya.  The End.

In one scene the question of unborn children is addressed in a very personal way when Colton talks to his unborn sister in Heaven. I had not thought about Amy and my unborn baby for many years. It made me think, and consider seeing that child when we get to Heaven.

Also, sitting next to someone who will most likely be in Heaven in the near future also brought the theme of the movie more into focus. It made the movie “for real.”

Those folks who want to criticize some of the theological implications from the story, or some of the skill in the movie-making have pretty-much missed the point.

The point of the movie is: Heaven is for-real, Jesus is there, It’s a good place, and you want to go there.

If you still want to argue, you can shut-up…for real.

cg