Based on the non-fiction book by Christy Beam, Columbia Pictures’ faith-affirming drama “Miracles from Heaven” brings to the screen the incredible true story of the Beam family. The film is directed by Patricia Riggen, from a screenplay by Randy Brown, and stars Jennifer Garner, Martin Henderson and Queen Latifah.
When Christy (Jennifer Garner) discovers her 10-year-old daughter Anna (Kylie Rogers) has a rare, incurable disease, she becomes a ferocious advocate for her daughter’s healing as she searches for a solution.
After Anna has a freak accident and falls three stories, a miracle unfolds in the wake of her dramatic rescue that leaves medical specialists mystified, her family restored and their community inspired.
Knowing her daughter’s miraculous healing was too significant to keep to herself, Christy Beam decided to put Anna’s amazing story into a book. She compiled all the notes and journal entries she had written during her daughter’s recovery to help her recall important facts. The result was Miracles From Heaven: A Little Girl, Her Journey to Heaven, and Her Amazing Story of Healing.
In the following interview, Christy Beam spoke about her book, her daughter’s courage, and how it has affected her family for the better.
Q: Did you believe in miracles before Anna fell from the tree and was cured?
Christy Beam: I did. I did believe in miracles. You always feel like that is something amazing and wonderful that can happen to someone else, not necessarily something that would happen to me. I believed it and I knew they happened and I knew people in our church who had experienced amazing miracles in their lives but I hadn’t necessarily thought about it applying to my life.
Q: Does she still surprise you with new details about her experience in Heaven?
Beam: Yes. I just remember sitting there and all I could say was, “Really?” All was just a silence, I was shocked. The way that she shared it so matter-of-fact. That was it, that was all she had to share at that time. Then later she would trickle in little bits of information and it would be at the most random times. It was almost when her heart was ready to share, on her terms. It was usually when I wasn’t expecting it. I had to redirect my thinking and think, “What in the world is she saying? That is amazing.”
Q: How does Anna feel about all the media attention?
Beam: She is such a humble child. She has such a sweet heart. Her desire truly is for others to gain hope and faith from her story. She just feels that God blessed her. She truly believes and says, “God blessed me with this story and I feel like I need to use my story to encourage and give others hope.” Her biggest thing she says is, even though she’s 12, she says “I want people to understand that you have to have faith and you can’t ever give up. You have to keep praying. Just because you pray today for God to take your headache away or make your stomach stop hurting, it doesn’t mean that He’s going to answer that prayer today or tomorrow, but it doesn’t mean that He’s not. We don’t ever know and that’s why you have to keep praying and have hope and be faithful.” Her biggest funny thing, the only thing she really says that is media-related, “I sure hope I meet Selena Gomez one day.”
Q: How do you feel about her story being made into film? How does Anna feel about it?
Beam: I am excited. It’s a little weird to wrap my brain around someone trying to portray all that we went through and all that I endured and to give that over and say, “Okay this is my life, this is what we did,” and trust them to do it justice. That’s a little scary, but I know that these people are amazing people. I feel strongly they’re going to do it quite well. I’m not concerned that the portrayal will not be accurate. Anna again, she thinks it’s wonderful and she hopes it changes lives, bring people closer to Christ.
Q: How has your family’s relationship with God changed since Anna’s fall and miraculous recovery?
Beam: There was just this dramatic reality who God was. But we have always been strong believers and being faithful to our relationship in Christ and how faithful Christ is to us. We were pretty fervent to begin with before it all started. But, my biggest “aha!” moment was really how I looked back and I could count the moments of faithfulness when He was faithful to us. It really challenged my heart. “How are you responding to faithfulness in Christ? Can you count the ways your faithful every day to Him?” That’s really challenged me to make those active acts of faithfulness. As opposed to just saying, “I’m praying and being faithful,” where are you physically moving forward in your life and being faithful?
Opening across the Philippines in March 16, “Miracles from Heaven” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International.
