Beyond the Heavens (2013)
Oliver is a bright 12-year-old who lives in the shadow of his parents' loss of their first son. His family appears fine on the outside, but is broken behind closed doors. As they work out their faith, Oliver is left to grapple with his own belief in God and the answers to life's biggest questions: Why am I here? What happens after death? Who made us? An angel disguised as a quirky traveler is sent to help him bring the pieces of the puzzle together. As Oliver's struggles cause him to look to science for answers, he discovers God is found by faith not by sight.
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Overrated and overhyped
In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.
Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.
The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.
I enjoyed this film. The story centers on a boy who begins to question many things in his life and family and whether God exists. The theme is universal in that nearly all childhood beliefs are shattered at some point either through real proof or circumstances that seem to disprove one belief or another.There are several sub-plots utilized to flesh out the characters, many of whom either show no evidence of a belief in God, even some that attend church, or a belief without a practice of God's love. But they do believe in celebrating a strange occurrence that occurred in the small town in the recent past.The acting is strong from several participants and the story moves along at a swift pace. The outcome demonstrates that intelligence and a mind for the sciences does not have to exist at the exclusion of faith in the unseen and difficult to prove.
As someone who doesn't believe in God but is very sympathetic to religious viewpoints, I like to watch Christian films to gain perspectives I wouldn't normally encounter. Unfortunately, this film antagonizes science and agnosticism in such a way that it feels alienating if you don't share the same perspective as the filmmakers. I know a lot of religious people view doubt as an intrinsic part of growing up, but Oliver's questioning of God and science are portrayed as an ominous slide towards hell, and the forces that influence his final reconciliation with one side feel weak and unexplained. In the end, it felt like a hollow examination of a very deep subject.