Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Heaven Is For Real

This is topic Heaven Is For Real in forum Film Handlers' Movie Reviews at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Terry Lynn-Stevens (Member # 7349) on 04-29-2014, 12:39 AM:

This was one of the better movies so far in 2014. A pretty interesting story and good cast. It was refreshing to see a movie like this in the month of April while all the big special effects movies are hitting theatres.

I am glad the movie is doing well.

Posted by Allan Barnes (Member # 5178) on 04-29-2014, 02:07 AM:

DITTO WE OPEN IT THIS WEEK BESIDE "AMAZING SPIDERMAN 2"

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 05-16-2014, 12:16 PM:

This movie was a little different from what I was expecting in that I really thought it was going to be more about the kid and how his life changed after having a near death experience. Instead the movie is more about his family, especially his father, and how the experience affects THEM. It's quite well done and the film's vision of Heaven is kind of cool, not way over-the-top like it could have been.

Aside from how good the movie was, I was expecting to really like it but came away sort of underwhelmed. I couldn't figure out why, but then it hit me: It was because EVERY. SINGLE. SURPRISE in the movie is revealed in the trailer. The kid's medical crisis. Everybody he meets during his near-death experience. All the best lines the kid has. ALL OF THEM are in the trailer. There's really only one "plot twist" that isn't in the trailer (revealed at the end of the movie and I won't relate it here) but it almost seems like an add-on to the story anyway and the movie could have ended just fine without it.

I found myself thinking, OK he hasn't talked about his sister yet...he hasn't mentioned his grandfather yet, etc. Knowing this stuff was about to happen just spoiled it for me. The movie has kind of a leisurely pace anyway, and knowing all the surprises just made it seem draggy to me.

So thanks for nothing, Sony Pictures trailer making people. You ruined this movie for me.

My favorite movie of this type remains "Oh God," starring George Burns and John Denver, from 1977. It really has almost the same type of message that this movie does, but the execution of the idea in "Oh God" is infinitely more charming, lighthearted and ultimately more effective. To me, at least. Whenever I see that movie I feel uplifted afterwards.

Posted by Frank Cox (Member # 6258) on 05-16-2014, 04:46 PM:

Believe it or not, when I watched Heaven is for Real I had exactly the same reaction, INCLUDING what you said about about Oh God.

As you say, if you've seen the trailer you don't really have to take the time to watch the movie; consider the trailer the "abridged version", I guess.

If one-tenth of the people who have been asking and phoning about this movie over the past few weeks actually show up to watch it, my theatre is going to be packed this week.

Posted by Frank Cox (Member # 6258) on 05-18-2014, 10:15 PM:

Colour me surprised. My theatre sold out to the last seat for this movie tonight. On Sunday. On a long weekend. (Monday is Victoria Day holiday here.)

I rarely sell out for anything; it happens once every few years, maybe. I've never sold out on a Sunday before, ever, and I'm pretty sure I've never sold out on a long weekend before, either.

Oddly enough, Friday and Saturday were both reasonably busy -- about on a par with the attendance for Spider-man last week, in fact. But nothing close to a sell-out, until tonight.