The fact-based drama “Miracles From Heaven” (Columbia) tells a remarkable story.
Though director Patricia Riggen’s screen version of Christy Beam’s 2015 memoir is clearly designed for believers, even skeptics may have trouble dismissing its underlying narrative.
A wife and the mother of three daughters, Christy (Jennifer Garner) is going about her everyday life in the Fort Worth area of Texas when tragedy strikes without warning: Her 10-year-old middle daughter Annabel (Kylie Rogers) develops a seemingly unshakable mystery illness.
Alarmed, Christy refuses to accept the series of more or less casually delivered misdiagnoses from unfocused doctors. And eventually, the grim truth emerges. Annabel’s symptoms are identified as stemming from pediatric chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction, or CIPO, a rare, painful and incurable condition that prevents the body from digesting food.
Persistent Christy now focuses on obtaining the care of one of the few specialists in CIPO, Dr. Samuel Nurko (Eugenio Derbez). However, Dr. Nurko proves powerless to combat the disease — and Annabel’s death sentence stands.
Although Christy and her easygoing veterinarian husband, Kevin (Martin Henderson), are dedicated churchgoers, Christy’s faith crumbles in the face of Annabel’s current torment and impending demise. She’s also deeply angered by the misguided notions of some fellow parishioners who seem to entertain a pre-Christian understanding of the connection between sin and misfortune.
Yet a startling turnaround awaits Christy, one which is certainly providential if not indeed miraculous.
Though it may be aimed at a self-selecting audience of the already convinced, screenwriter Randy Brown minimizes neither its protagonist’s crisis of doubt nor the larger mystery of innocent suffering.
The dialogue also takes a wide view of what counts as a divinely inspired marvel, highlighting the kindness shown to Christy and her clan by secondary characters. The most significant is Angela (Queen Latifah), a gregarious waitress who takes an instant shine to Annabel.
While squeaky clean as far as the normal array of objectionable elements, “Miracles From Heaven” nonetheless includes both subjects and sights that make it inappropriate for the youngest viewers.
The film contains mature themes as well as potentially upsetting incidents and medical procedures. (A-II, PG)
