Review of Heaven Is for Real (2014) by Stephanie N — 06 Dec 2015

Stephanie's review:

The movie "Heaven Is For Real" isn't just an ordinary film. It revolves around the life of a pastor called Todd Burpo and his family. The pastor's son, Colton Burpo had a near death experience, and during an operation he went to heaven and back. During this time Colton saw visions of heaven, including Jesus, his sister whom he never got to meet, his great-grandfather and angels. Everyone including those who were close to him found it very difficult to believe of his experience. However as Colton shares his experience with the world, people start to ask themselves, is heaven for real?

This movie links very heavily towards the Christian faith. Even the title of the movie relates to the Christian belief, that based on your deeds you either ascend to heaven or go to hell. Throughout the movie it talks about God's teachings and how this helps the Burpos and those around them to understand and get through life. As the main character is a pastor, most of the plot is either set in the church or talks about teachings of God. The two big messages from this movie is love and forgiveness, both of which are main teachings from God. In the beginning scene of the movie, Todd was invited to pray for a man in the hospital. This old man was afraid of dying as he regrets many things that he has done. However Todd taught that God forgives everything that we do. Although Todd initially found it hard to believe that his son went to heaven, in the end he learnt more things about Christianity in which he now believes. As stated in 1 John 4:8, "Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love." This was exactly what Todd taught, as he said God is present through different acts of love. From the birth of a child, to a courageous friend this is all God, because God is love. In order to believe that God is love, we must have faith. Faith will open our eyes to these teachings.

Even though I believe in Christianity, I find it very difficult to believe that there is a place I will go to when I die. However by connecting an ordinary family's joinery through life, I was able to deepen my understanding of the Christian faith. I learnt that God is present in everything and everywhere. If you are up for a heart warming, moving and entertaining movie, then "Heaven Is For Real" is a great choice!