Heaven Is for Real
Seen it?2014 | 99 min | Drama
Sunday Safe BetWhy it’s a Sunday Safe Bet
Audiences rate it highly (6.8 out of 10) and it made about 8 times its budget, though it had middling reviews (51% on Rotten Tomatoes). A safe bet when you want something reliable.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for anyone who loves a strong drama. If you loved Ordinary Angels or Awakenings, start here. Audiences love it more than critics do: a crowd-pleaser first.
- The mood
- Thoughtful and character-driven.
- The pace
- Takes its time with its characters, at 1 hr 39 min.
- What might put you off
- Rated PG. Worth a look first if you have very young kids.
- Critics were cooler on it than audiences.
After their young son, Colton, undergoes emergency surgery, small-town parents Todd and Sonja Burpo are overjoyed at the child's miraculous recovery. However, the Burpos are unprepared for what happens next... Colton says that during his surgery he went to heaven and back, and tells his parents things that he couldn't possibly know. Can Todd find the courage and conviction to share his son's extraordinary, life-changing experience with the world?
How it earned its rating
- CriticsBelow par
51% on Rotten Tomatoes, 47 on Metacritic
- AudiencesStrong
6.8 out of 10
- AwardsWeak
1 win and 2 nominations from smaller awards and festivals
- Box office & staying powerStrong
$101 million worldwide on a $12 million budget; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactSolid
About 172K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Randall Wallace
- Greg KinnearTodd Burpo
- Kelly ReillySonja Burpo
- Connor CorumColton
- Thomas Haden ChurchJay Wilkins
- Jacob VargasMichael
- Lane StylesCassie
- Darren FelbelMr. Parker
- Ali TatarynArch Angel #2
- Jon Ted WynneMr. Jackson
- Darcy FehrLee Watson