Review of Heaven Is for Real

I went to see this movie with great anticipation after reading the very well written book by Pastor Todd Burpo a couple of years ago. In fact, I went to see it the very first weekend it was in the cinema. However, after having read "The Client" many, many years ago and then seeing the movie on the silver screen, I was very disappointed with what Hollywood can do to a book when they try to turn it into a movie, so I had a bit of apprehension, too, when "Heaven is for Real" started playing. About halfway through the movie, I wanted to get up and leave. The screenwriters left about 75% of the book out of the film entirely. The film wasn't centered around Colton Burpo and his incredible glimpse of Heaven, but rather it was largely about his father, Todd, and the struggles he encountered in dealing with young Coltons' revelations. Even the way Colton initially divulged his experience to his parents was different from the book. It seemed to me that the screenwriters wanted to dramatize the movie and create some suspense where there shouldn't have been any in the depicted struggles between Todd and his wife. Do yourself a favor and read the book instead. You will be sadly disappointed with the film if you've read the book beforehand.