Plot
The film is based on a true story set in Burlington, Texas between 2007 to 2011.
Christy and Kevin Beam live with their three daughters Abby, Anna, and Adelynn and are active in their local church. One day Anna starts repeatedly vomiting and is taken to see a doctor who cannot find anything abnormal, suggesting lactose intolerance. However, things only get worse when Anna begins feeling intense stomach pain in the middle of the night. Her parents take her to the hospital, but doctors find no signs of illness, saying it's likely acid reflux but Christy is incredulous.
The following morning, a pediatrician in the hospital is able to diagnose Anna with an abdominal obstruction, and he tells them he must operate immediately or she will die. After emergency surgery, the doctor explains that Anna has been left with intestinal pseudo-obstruction and she is unable to eat, so feeding tubes are needed for her nutrition. The doctor then tells the Beams about America's foremost pediatric gastroenterologist, Dr. Samuel Nurko in Boston, but explains it could take months for them to be seen.
While Kevin tries to remain faithful, Christy begins growing uneasy and refuses to go to church after some members of the congregation suggest she asks God if the family committed a sin that may have caused Anna's disorder.
Desperate to get her daughter help, Christy takes Anna to Boston Children's Hospital but are denied due to the lack of an appointment. After spending a day with local Massachusetts resident Angela Bradford, she learns from a receptionist that Dr. Nurko has a last-minute opening.
After examining Anna, Dr. Nurko shares with Christy the extent of her chronic illness. After returning home, Christy explains to Kevin she's worried about the costs of treatment. While trying to reassure her, he is shocked when Christy admits she lost her faith and can't even pray. Her church's pastor explains that although Anna is suffering it doesn't mean God doesn't love her, and that trying to get close to him feels better than doing it all by yourself.
While Anna goes through extensive treatment, she shares a room with Hayley who has terminal cancer. Hayley asks about her cross necklace, and she explains that it tells her Jesus is always with her and gives it to her. Later Hayley tells her father Ben she's not afraid to die. However, Anna shows signs of depression, tearfully telling her mom that she wants to die and be with God. But she is later cheered up with a surprise visit from her dad and sisters.
After returning home Anna and Abbie climb up to a very high branch of an old cottonwood tree. While on the branch, it begins to break. Anna goes to the trunk for safety, when, upon stepping on it, she falls into the hollowed-out center of the base of the tree.
While firefighters work to get her out, Christy gets to a point where she prays the Lord's Prayer along with her family. After Anna is taken out of the tree and airlifted to the hospital, Christy and Kevin are shocked to learn that not only she survived but suffered no serious injuries aside from a minor concussion.
Sometime after the fall, Anna seems to no longer be affected by her illness. She tells her parents that while in the tree, she saw heaven and spoke to God. She said he told her she would be healed. After meeting with Dr. Nurko one last time, he tells her she's better and that this is goodbye.
At church, Christy shares the story of how God miraculously healed her daughter with his love and how she missed miracles unfolding around her the whole time. However, two of the congregation members say they don't believe her. Ben, who has traveled from Boston upon hearing the story about Anna, believes her. He also shares that Haley died peacefully as Anna gave her faith when in the hospital.
The Beam family then spends some quality time together eating pizza for the first time since Anna got sick. Christy says in a narration that every day is a miracle.
The film ends with clips of the real Beam family where Anna says she hasn't been sick since and is now a healthy seventh grader.
Production
On November 10, 2014, The Hollywood Reporter reported that Sony Pictures Entertainment had acquired the film adaptation rights to a faith-based memoir, Miracles From Heaven: A Little Girl, Her Journey to Heaven, and Her Amazing Story of Healing , written by Christy Beam, and hired Randy Brown to write the script. [11] The team behind the studios' 2014 Christian film Heaven Is for Real , T. D. Jakes and Joe Roth, were retained to produce the film along with DeVon Franklin. [11]
On April 8, 2015, the studio hired Patricia Riggen to direct the film. [12] On April 30, 2015, Jennifer Garner was cast to star in the film as Christy Beam. [7] On June 22, 2015, The Hollywood Reporter reported that Queen Latifah was cast as a waitress who befriends Anna and Beam at the Boston Children's Hospital. [10] On the same day, Variety confirmed the casting of Martin Henderson to play the girl's father and Beam's husband. [8]
On June 29, 2015, Kylie Rogers was cast as Beam's sick daughter Anna. [6] On July 17, 2015, Eugenio Derbez was cast to play a character inspired by Children's Hospital specialist Dr. Samuel Nurko, an American-based Mexican pediatric gastroenterologist who eases his young patients' treatment by playing games with them. [9] John Carroll Lynch was also cast in the film as the pastor. [13]
