Heaven Is for Real is the newest movie from director and co-writer Randall Wallace, whom I recently had the privilege of interviewing.
Wallace has built a long and distinguished film career. He directed movies such as Secretariat, The Man in the Iron Mask and We Were Soldiers.
He also earned an Oscar nomination for writing Braveheart.
With Heaven Is for Real, Wallace believes the real-life story will draw moviegoers in.
“I found the story to be a powerful, emotional story,” Wallace says. “It is powerfully entertaining.”
The movie draws from the bestselling book of the same name.
It follows small-town pastor Todd Burpo and his family after his young son, Colton, claims to have visited heaven during a near-death experience.
Greg Kinnear stars as Todd. Kelly Reilly plays his wife, Sonja, while newcomer Connor Corum portrays Colton.
As the boy shares details about heaven and events he seemingly could not have known, his family must decide what to make of his claims.
A Story Built on Mystery
The nature of this film will draw people in.
During my interview with Wallace, he told me, “The mystery and intrigue will grab people’s attention.”
The thought of heaven and hell captures the imagination.
Many churchgoers picture heaven as a place filled with angels, tiny white wings, harps and clouds.
Therefore, people become fascinated when someone claims to have seen heaven with his own eyes.
The book that inspired the movie has sold more than 7 million copies since its 2010 release.
However, the story has also drawn criticism.
Prominent pastors such as John Piper and David Platt have questioned how its claims compare with the biblical accounts of heaven.
When I asked Wallace about the criticism, he offered a simple response.
“I am not aware of any of the criticisms,” he says.
Still, Wallace added, “This movie allows for doubts.”
Testing the Story Against Scripture
So what should Christians do with a movie that claims to offer an account of heaven and eternity?
Like everything else in life, we must view its claims through the lens of Scripture.
We cannot build our picture of heaven on cultural images of angels strumming harps.
Likewise, we cannot rely on the description of a 4-year-old.
Instead, Christians should turn to the biblical passages that address heaven. Those passages include the book of Revelation, Isaiah 6 and 2 Corinthians 12.
As we study what Scripture says, one truth becomes clear.
The ultimate emphasis is not on what heaven is like, but on who it is about.
Every scriptural account of heaven centers on the glory of God and the worship due to Him.
The Bible gives little attention to heaven’s detailed inner workings. Instead, it defines heaven through the presence and glory of God.
Hollywood has recently released several faith-based movies, including Noah, God’s Not Dead and now Heaven Is for Real.
As a result, Christians must repeatedly decide how to approach these films.
The answer is to give less authority to the words and movies of man. At the same time, we must give greater authority to the Word of God.
Scripture alone provides the guiding vision for all of life.
When we view these films through that lens, we can treat them as cinematic interpretations rather than definitive pictures of heaven.