Heaven Is for Real

Adapted from Todd Burpo's nonfiction bestseller, this sensitive, spiritual story focuses on the bond between an affable Midwestern minister and his precocious four-year-old son, who insists that he went to Heaven. In the farming community of Imperial, NE, popular Crossroads Wesleyan Church pastor Todd Burpo (Greg Kinnear) works as a repairman, high school wrestling coach, and volunteer fireman. He and his wife Sonja (Kelly Reilly) have two children, Cassie (Lane Styles) and Colton (Connor Corum), and are constantly coping with the challenge of paying their bills. They wind up deeper in debt after Todd breaks his leg and suffers painful kidney stones, followed by Colton's ruptured appendix. Todd's belief is tested when young Colton describes going to Heaven during surgery—supplying details that cannot be explained rationally. Researching near-death experiences and consulting with a psychologist, Todd's quest for answers ultimately begins to influence his sermons, upsetting skeptical parishioners (Margo Martindale, Thomas Haden Church), especially after the press becomes involved. Adapted with subtly wry humor by director Randall Wallace, Heaven Is for Real remains non-denominational/non-sectarian—for the most part—raising provocative questions about the fundamental nature of faith and the almost universal desire for an afterlife. Kinnear's appealing Everyman is believable, while cherubic Corum seems guileless and natural. Recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include deleted scenes (9 min.), a “Colton Goes to Heaven” behind-the-scenes featurette (4 min.), and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release is a “making-of” featurette (13 min.), the production segment “Creating Heaven” (5 min.), and bonus DVD and UltraViolet copies of the film. Bottom line: a solid extras package for an engaging film.] (S. Granger)