Heaven is For Real (Movie Review)

“[As believers in Christ] our citizenship is in heaven.  And we eagerly await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” – Philippians 3:20

Last month I had the opportunity to see a pre-screening of the upcoming movie Heaven is for Real.  This movie is based on the true story of the Burpo family from Arkansas.  If you’re not familiar with the story, a young boy named Colton became deathly ill due to a ruptured appendix and was rushed into surgery.  He survived and when he got better, began recounting to his parents “experiences” he had while he was under the anesthesia.  He told his parents that he had visited heaven, seen Jesus, met an unborn sister, hugged his great-grandfather, and told them other things that had happened.  I’m not going to offer an opinion on the plot of this story at all.  If Colton (the real Colton) believes he saw heaven, then he saw heaven.  I can’t say that he did, I can’t say that he didn’t – what make us unique as humans is that we have our own perceptions of things and experiences.  I do, however, want to offer some thoughts about the movie and things I felt were missing. 

I had mixed feelings coming out of the movie.  On the positive side of things, I was pleased that this movie was adding to the number of faith-based/spiritually inspirational movies that are out in theaters today and also that it is a subject matter that might cause unbelievers to think about heaven and their destiny, and maybe seek out answers at a church to those thoughts and questions.  On the negative side of things, I felt that there was a little too much “Hollywood” in the movie.  For instance, there were a bit too many romantic innuendos for a movie that is about a boy who saw heaven.  Also, the advertising for the movie was a bit misleading in that before seeing the movie, I would have thought it was about Colton.  However, it was really more about Colton’s dad, Todd, and his coming to terms with his faith and also what is going on with his son.  Sadly, it felt like Colton was just a side-note and that just didn’t correlate well with the advertising that features Colton by himself at the “door of heaven” (see photo below).

However, the biggest negative for me about the movie was a particular scene where Todd Burpo, who is a pastor, is visiting the grave of one of his parishioners’ son who died while in combat.  The parishioner, fully aware with what has gone on with Colton and also upset that God chose to save Todd’s son and not hers, sits down next to Todd and says, “Do you think my son went to heaven?”  (Ohh…great opportunity to share the gospel here!)  The scene continues and Todd replies to her question, “Do you love your son still?”  She answers, “Yes, of course I do!”  Todd says, “Do you think I love Colton?”  The parishioner says, “Yes, I know you do.”  He says, “Do you think I love my son, more than you love yours?”  She says, “No.”  Todd concludes by saying, “Do you think God loves my son, more than He loves yours?”  She begins to cry.

Huh?!  That’s TOTALLY NOT how you answer a question like that…and that is what was ringing in my mind right when this scene in the movie ended.  For those (like the parishioner's son) over the age of accountability (and I’m not going into that here), the solely and ONLY way to heaven is through salvation in Jesus Christ.  In John 14:6 Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father [who is in heaven] except through me.”  John 1:12, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe in His name.”  John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  I could keep going, but you get the gist…we only get to heaven through salvation through Jesus; it’s not our works, it’s not about how good we are, it’s about Him and ONLY Him.

Heaven is For Real comes out on April 16, right before Easter Sunday.  Is it a great Christian movie?  I say, no.  It's a good inspirational movie, but in order for it to be a good Christian movie in my eyes, the directors and producers should have put the focus on salvation in Christ, something they chose not to do.  Personally, I wouldn’t spend the price of a movie ticket to see the movie in theaters (especially because movie tickets are so costly!).  I’d wait until the movie comes out on DVD and rent it.  However you see the movie, keep in the forefront of your mind that there is only ONE way to heaven.  And finally, if you take an unbelieving friend with you or if you know of an unbelieving friend that is going to see/has seen the movie, afterwards, share with them the TRUTH that was so sadly left out of this movie.  Who knows, maybe you can plant and help cultivate the seed of salvation in their lives?!

Regardless of what you or I believe about the Burpo’s experience, one thing they say over and over again is true.  Heaven IS for real; and hand-in-hand with that, so is hell.  What bridges them together?  The cross.  It’s our sinful nature that should send us to hell, but it’s Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross for our sin and our repentance, belief, and acceptance of that knowledge that gives us the gift of eternity in heaven.  Heaven is real and John gives us a tiny glimpse of it in Revelation 22:1-5:

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.  No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.

One day, as believers in Christ, we will get to experience for ourselves the beauty and glory of Heaven, we will wade in that river of life, fellowship with those who have gone on before us, and greatest of all, worship and praise the King of Kings and Lord of Lords in His presence at His very throne-room!  “Our citizenship is in heaven.  And we eagerly await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” Philippians 3:20.  Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus.