Faithful Friday: The Girl Who Believes in Miracles

 Faithful Friday: The Girl Who Believes in Miracles Movie Review

by Debbie

 This Easter, a new movie reminds people never to stop believing in miracles: in this faith-filled drama, young Sara Hopkins takes a church sermon to heart about believing in the power of prayer. This belief is tested when Sara finds a dead bird and asks God to revive it. Despite her brother's urgings to the contrary, Sara seems determined God can perform a miracle. So instead of joining her brother and his girlfriend as they fish on the lake, she stays behind to pray. Sara is still praying by the time they return to go back to their grandparents' house. But before they leave, she gives it one final shot and urges God to intervene. He does, and the bird flies away. Stunned, her brother looks for any other explanation to validate the miraculous event. But, before he spoke, she said something else that stopped him in his tracks: "Don't you see him standing there across the lake?"

         Once home, Sara can't help but share the news of her "miracle" with friends and family. Her parents don't know what to make of that incident chalking it up to their daughter's overreactive imagination. Sara's mother (played by Mira Sorvino) grows even more concerned as her daughter reveals that not only did Jesus heal the bird through her but said he would be coming back for her soon. Despite being warned to keep her miracle quiet, news of the healed bird spreads, and some bullies around town taunt her. However, her best friend, Mark Miller (played by Paul-Mikel), sticks with her, believing in God's ability to heal so much that he asks her to pray for him. You see, Mark is in a wheelchair because of a spinal cord injury that left him unable to walk. Mark doesn't get miraculously healed that day, but as audiences follow the story, they realize it is more of progressive healing, leading him to move his toes and finally walk from the doctor's office. When news of Mark's recovery spreads, Sara's ability becomes the #1 news story, and people flock to her house to receive healing.

         Little do people know that the more Sara heals, the more energy it takes from her small young body. At first, the doctor seems convinced it's nothing more than the stomach flu. But as more and more miracles occur, she gets weaker and weaker. Finally, the doctor appears determined to find an answer more plausible than miracles happening and God speaking to a child.

         As cute as the story was, I expected more of a biblical backbone. I've seen many of the movies that Kevin Sorbo has been cast in (God's Not Dead, What If, etc.); his other characters had more transformational change. I didn't relate to Ben's cold demeanor until I realized their family dealt with the death of their youngest.