Heaven is For Real, Movie Review
With the release of several new Christian and/or biblical movies as of late, I have been a little skeptical of the message that these movie makers want to communicate and their effect on our culture for both believers and non-believers. Granted, I can be a bit of a movie snob sometimes, but I think media plays a larger role in our culture than simply entertainment. The movie Noah sought to tackle the biblical drama from a new literary perspective, inviting viewers into the narrative to feel the weight of emotions that Noah's family would have felt in the journey from creation to destruction and ultimately a new beginning. The producers of Son of God, a distillation of the gospel story from the TV series The Bible, make an effort to compel viewers to search out the texts for themselves after seeing the story onscreen. God's Not Dead very clearly seeks to encourage college students who feel their faith threatened by intellectual pursuits not to simply give up on faith. Each of these films were made with certain motivations and assumptions. The ideas presented reflect corners of our culture while simultaneously shaping our culture.
So what exactly is the motivation behind the movie Heaven Is For Real? Before watching the film, I was a bit worried about the hype and the tendency for some to latch so strongly onto visions of heaven and hell. We get so concerned with the details of the afterlife that we often completely miss the significance of the biblical visions of heaven and hell for life here and now. After watching the film, however, I was pleasantly surprised by its honest and raw portrayal of a family trying to make sense of an experience they just could not explain.
Why does heaven matter?
For quick background, the movie is based on the book Heaven is for Real, a pastor's account and reflection upon his son's experience of visiting heaven and their journey of questioning that followed. I have not read the book itself - my fiancee tells me it makes a more concerted effort to show the scriptural basis of Colton Burpo's visions. In the film, however, there are a few important facets of the story that may be misrepresented in the movie trailer.
[warning: some spoilers]
First, it's important that Colton never dies. His vision of heaven is not a result of some brief trip to the afterlife; his vision is more akin to John the Seer's vision of heaven in Revelation in which he is very much alive but caught up in a vision of heaven during prayer. The significance of these visions of heaven are not in detailing what we have to look forward to but instead in giving us a message of hope that encourages us to persevere through our present time on earth. While all the adults in the film concern themselves with credibility of the details, Colton is completely at peace because he has learned that he does not need to be afraid.
Second, the movie makes no absolute claims as to what life after death looks like nor exact details about the end times. The pastor and father, Todd Burpo, struggles significantly over what to think about his son's vision. Without negating the validity of what Colton saw, Burpo notes in his final sermon that God showed Colton the heaven that God wanted him to see. What Burpo is saying is that God's mysteries are too great for us to fully comprehend, but God gives us snippets of heaven in order to comfort, encourage, and direct us in our lives now.
Finally, it's significant that the vision comes to Colton at the age of four. Colton is not a student of theology, he's a child! Nor is there anything particularly special about this child or the family. He's a normal kid with normal desires who makes normal mistakes. Their family struggles just like other families. The vision that Colton receives is a gift, and that gift serves to challenge and encourage their family and community. It surfaces anxieties and questions and brings hope in the midst of pain and doubt.
Colton's vision of heaven is not a theological treatise and we are not asked to treat it as fact or doctrine. However, the vision of heaven matters because it encourages us to live without fear. When our eyes are drawn toward heaven, we remember that the universe does not revolve around us and our anxieties but around Jesus and his victory. We can live with hope. We can live a life in love and service to God without fear of tomorrow. We do not have to fear!
A final note
As I mentioned earlier, I can be a bit of a movie snob. With that said, Heaven Is For Real is one of the few specifically Christian made movies that I appreciate and would recommend. It has a coherent plot (unfortunately many Christian made movies just throw as much stuff in as they can fit and hope something sticks). The acting is decent and the dialogue is real and believable. It's really a fun movie to watch!
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