MESSAGE IN THE MOVIES

Letters To God Rated PG

Directed by David Nixon.  Starring Robyn Lively, Jeffrey S. S. Johnson.

Photo © Vivendi Entertainment
Movie Review by Rev. Bruce Batchelor Glader

I really wanted to like Letters to God.  It’s an inspirational film about Tyler (Tanner Maguire), an 8-year-old boy dealing with advanced cancer by writing letters to God about everything on his mind.

And – mostly – Tyler is concerned about others: his recently widowed mother (Lively), the recovering alcoholic mail carrier (Johnson), his grandfather (Ralph Waite), his always perky best friend (Bailee Madison), and even his older brother (Michael Christopher Bolten). 

Tyler is a saint, able to care for others in the midst of pain and suffering.  The first hour of Letters to God is pretty painful to watch.  We get to see Tyler dealing with nausea and his required chemotherapy and blood transfusions, and hear a lot of people speaking about his illness. 

The second half of the film is all about redemption, including recovery from addiction and low self esteem, acceptance of God’s presence in daily life, and even a couple of children accepting Jesus Christ as their personal savior. 

The cast is talented, but the movie is hampered by its objective of creating a “family film” out of such tough questions.  Why do bad things happen to good people?  If we are to accept Tyler as God’s agent of mercy, his redemptive suffering was required to bring healing to others. 

While I could make this case for Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, I would have a tough time explaining to any young child watching this film why Tyler had to die. 

The conclusion of the film shares pictures and testimonies about a dozen real life cancer survivors who have received healing through the inspiration of the “letters to God” program.  I left the theater baffled at all of the mixed messages about God’s will and human illness. 

I have been privileged as a pastor to walk with dozens of families through the valley of serious illness, and I am convinced that it is God’s presence (and not easy answers) that is most needed.

 Letters to God is probably one of the worst family films with some of the best intentions that I have ever seen.

Pitchfork Rating:
Three halos. Its heart is in the right place, but Letters to God is a bit too upbeat and simplistic, considering its serious subject.

Two picthforks. For scenes of pain and suffering that might be tough for younger children; and the mild depiction of alcoholism.

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