Since November 2010 when the book Heaven Is for Real was released, the mystery of whether the story about a little boy visiting heaven while on the operating table was true or not has raised enormous interest and many questions. Adapted from the book by Chris Parker and Randall Wallace (Braveheart), the movie version opens this week.*

Todd Burpo (Greg Kinnear, Little Miss Sunshine) and his family live in Imperial, Nebraska. He’s a pastor of Crossroads Wesleyan Church. He also volunteers as a firefighter, serves as wrestling coach for the Junior High School, and runs his own business.  His wife Sonja (Kelly Reilly), a stay-at-home mom, takes care of their two children Colton (Connor Corum) and Cassie (Lane Styles).

Life seems good for this family until Colton comes down with a serious illness and has to be rushed to a hospital for emergency surgery. Fearing they will lose their son, Todd and Sonja are inconsolable. But Colton pulls through and is soon back home as the adorable and sweet child he’s always been.

However, as daily life returns to normal, Colton begins to say bizarre things about being in heaven while on the operating table. Sonja totally ignores this behavior, but Todd begins to really listen when Colton says things he could not know. For example, the boy claims he saw his mom and dad in two different rooms at the hospital and that his dad “got mad and was yelling at God.”

When Colton says he had a visit with his grandfather, and then actually picks out his picture as a youth, Todd begins to ask himself if this could be a real possibility. Todd brings his belief that Colton did visit heaven to his church partners Jay (Thomas Haden Church, Sideways) and Nancy (Margo Martindale, Secretariat).

Sensitive to what the family has been through, Jay and Nancy pray with Todd and offer their total support. But as more and more stories that are hard to believe emerge -- and when Todd actually talks about Colton’s heavenly visits in his messages at church -- Nancy becomes cantankerous and suggests they get a new pastor.

Todd already faces enough pressure. Now with the world hearing this story plus his work falling off and his wife refusing to believe Colton’s story, the possibility of losing his job as a pastor makes his life even more complicated. 

As Todd Burpo, Kinnear is exceptional in many ways. He brings sensitivity to the emotional arc of the story. He projects Todd’s compassion in treating his son as well as the strength to get his family through tough financial times. Kinnear also shows great humanity as a pastor seeking answers while providing them for his wife and congregation. Love for Todd’s family pours out, and every time Todd looks at his wife, it beams from Kinnear’s eyes. 

Corum’s role as Colton is as extraordinary as this story. He was picked from try outs by many young actors.  Selected for his first film role here, the talented youngster comes across as so adorable that oohs and aahs pour out from audience members every time he appears on screen. Corum and Kinnear bonded instantly.

“He’s kind of the greatest version of an actor, in the sense that everything that he does is on instinct, it’s effortless, and it’s just kind of there without any artificiality to it. It really makes me mad,” Kinnear quipped.

Playing the local banker who is also Todd’s good friend, Church rounds out the cast well. And Reilly shows the love that Sonja has for her husband, even during times when she wants him to stop encouraging Colton from talking about his experience.

The exquisite cinematography by Dean Semler (Secretariat) beautifully captures the Nebraska mid-western town. Those gorgeous blue skies and that sunlight beaming off the corn silk are perfect travel enticements.

This story seemed destined to fall into the hands of Randall Wallace -- and TriStar Pictures executive DeVon Franklin agreed.

“Very few directors have a sense of the human spirit, and where that spirit fits within the context of all of our experiences in the world, and Randy is one of those directors that sees the bigger picture, but also has not lost the ability to translate the common touch,” Franklin said. “What he’s done on this film goes beyond anything we were hoping for. He brings such humanity to even simple scenes, right down to the family at the kitchen table.”

Wallace obviously accepted this challenge with an open mind, perhaps knowing the film could be perceived in different ways and not really putting a footprint on any of them, but letting everyone who sees it come to their own conclusion.

“What I think will draw people to Heaven Is for Real is the idea that they’re going to be captivated by a story,” Wallace said. “People want to be moved, they want to be grabbed, and they want to be spoken to from the heart.”

Taking their real-life story to the big screen must have been a difficult decision for the Burpo family, for they realized the film’s release would raise questions they would have to answer. Colton, now in high school, continues to speak openly about his experiences. More about the family is available at http://heavenisforreal.net/

Heaven Is for Real ends up as a great film for families -- and for anyone looking for hope and humanity.

(Released by Sony Pictures Entertainment and rated "PG" for thematic material including some medical situations.)

Review also posted at www.reviewexpress.com.

*April 16, 2014