Jennifer Garner's New Movie Tells A True Story

In case the title didn't give it away, Miracles From Heaven is not the newest Rambo movie. Rather, it stars Jennifer Garner as Christy Beam, a Texas mama whose Christian faith is tested by her child's potentially fatal diagnosis (i.e. bring your tissues to this one), and yes, Miracle From Heaven tells a true story. The plot unfolds in hospital rooms across the country, with the family flying up to Boston to seek medical care from a specialist. When her daughter's treatment falls flat, the mother begins to question her faith in God and experiences some hefty spiritual turbulence — I'm not religious, but this seems like a pretty fair reaction to me.

Here's where the Miracles come in: Annabel, the ailing itty-bitty at the heart of the movie, falls headfirst into a hollowed-out tree trunk while playing with her siblings and lands smack-dab in the middle of her skull. You'd think that there'd be a lot of blood, sirens, and panic, but the girl winds up emerging without a scratch, claiming that Jesus found her in the fall and spoke to her. Like any practical parent, the Beams still hustle Annabel to the hospital, where they find no internal bleeding, no concussion, and, miraculously, no more life-threatening illness. While it might sound a little too good to be true, Miracles From Heaven comes from a memoir of the same name written by Christy Beam about her kiddo, Annabel, and the fall that might've saved her life.

According a recent interview with People, the real-life Annabel also remembers meeting Jesus in the tree. Reporter Darla Atlas writes:

Annabel says she visited heaven while trapped inside the tree. Asking to stay with Jesus – there was no stomach pain in heaven – she says he told her, 'No, Annabel, I have plans for you on Earth that you can't fulfill in heaven.' Finding herself back in the tree, she waited for rescuers to send down a harness to pull her up. But she wasn't alone, she says; a guardian angel was there to keep her company.

What was Heaven like? Annabel told Entertainment Tonight that it was "very bright and it was very peaceful." She also described Jesus as having brown hair and a matching beard.

While the Beams' story compelled Garner to rediscover her Christianity, many audience members might have questions as they walk into the film: Are there any other records of similar events? In a world full of sick children, why is Annabel the only one receiving this miracle? Hopefully, moviegoers will get a good cry and a few answers.