This is based upon a true story.
At 4-yrs of age Colton Burpo (Connor Corum) has a near death experience and later claims to have been in Heaven, and saw Jesus, Angels and some family members.
The movie opens with a young girl, about 12-yrs of age, painting an All Seeing Eye on a gray sky background. More about her later.
Colton's father Todd (Greg Kinnear) isn't sure what to make of all these allegations. Todd is a minister in a small town in Imperial, Nebraska and becomes confused with many things Colton says because he knows they are true and these are things Colton couldn't know at his young age. But, he wants to believe. His wife, Sonja (Kelly Reilly) demands that Todd focus on things happening now as she doesn't believe what Colton is saying. She has an immediate change of heart later on when she and Colton have a heart to heart. This is quite a scene.
However, the townspeople are upset and want this to go away and there is even talk of replacing Todd as their minister.
This movie is not Religion specific, but it is definitely a Christian movie talking about Jesus, Angels and the like. I couldn't help thinking that Atheists may have a change of heart or at least have questions after seeing this. That is, if they bother to view the movie.
I am sure there was more in the best selling book with the same title than we were told in the movie. Colton says Heaven is Real, it's just like here only better, and that everyone there is young. When Todd shows him some pictures of what some painters portray what Jesus looks like, Colton says Jesus doesn't look like any of the pictures he is shown.
But when Colton is shown a picture, on a computer screen, of Jesus painted by Akiane Kramarek, he says, "That's him. That's s what Jesus looks like." Akiane is that young girl mentioned above and she is a real person (I looked her up on Wikipedia) who says she was told, by Jesus when she was 4-yrs of age, to continue her painting of images in Heaven.
I found the acting performances to be okay, but gave slack to some because my focus was on what Colton saw and didn't care if some didn't give an Oscar Worthy performance. However, Connor Corum as Colton gives an outstanding performance as you come to believe he wasn't just acting, but was actually there in Heaven. He was that convincing. Kudos.
The cinematography was outstanding as it should be in a movie of this consequence. The photography was exceptional.
I don't know about you, but I plan to purchase a book of Akiane Kramarek's paintings. I want to see more of Heaven. Don't you? (7/10)
Violence: No. Sex: No. Nudity: No. Language: No.
At 4-yrs of age Colton Burpo (Connor Corum) has a near death experience and later claims to have been in Heaven, and saw Jesus, Angels and some family members.
The movie opens with a young girl, about 12-yrs of age, painting an All Seeing Eye on a gray sky background. More about her later.
Colton's father Todd (Greg Kinnear) isn't sure what to make of all these allegations. Todd is a minister in a small town in Imperial, Nebraska and becomes confused with many things Colton says because he knows they are true and these are things Colton couldn't know at his young age. But, he wants to believe. His wife, Sonja (Kelly Reilly) demands that Todd focus on things happening now as she doesn't believe what Colton is saying. She has an immediate change of heart later on when she and Colton have a heart to heart. This is quite a scene.
However, the townspeople are upset and want this to go away and there is even talk of replacing Todd as their minister.
This movie is not Religion specific, but it is definitely a Christian movie talking about Jesus, Angels and the like. I couldn't help thinking that Atheists may have a change of heart or at least have questions after seeing this. That is, if they bother to view the movie.
I am sure there was more in the best selling book with the same title than we were told in the movie. Colton says Heaven is Real, it's just like here only better, and that everyone there is young. When Todd shows him some pictures of what some painters portray what Jesus looks like, Colton says Jesus doesn't look like any of the pictures he is shown.
But when Colton is shown a picture, on a computer screen, of Jesus painted by Akiane Kramarek, he says, "That's him. That's s what Jesus looks like." Akiane is that young girl mentioned above and she is a real person (I looked her up on Wikipedia) who says she was told, by Jesus when she was 4-yrs of age, to continue her painting of images in Heaven.
I found the acting performances to be okay, but gave slack to some because my focus was on what Colton saw and didn't care if some didn't give an Oscar Worthy performance. However, Connor Corum as Colton gives an outstanding performance as you come to believe he wasn't just acting, but was actually there in Heaven. He was that convincing. Kudos.
The cinematography was outstanding as it should be in a movie of this consequence. The photography was exceptional.
I don't know about you, but I plan to purchase a book of Akiane Kramarek's paintings. I want to see more of Heaven. Don't you? (7/10)
Violence: No. Sex: No. Nudity: No. Language: No.