Letters to God: Movie Review

I went to see this movie, Letters to God, today with my mother. I wanted to see if it was worth the hype... and it was, to a certain extent. For a full synopsis (as well as a differing review), please go here.

Without spoiling it, since I know some people will want to watch it, I will say that it definitely tugs on the heart strings. I went through about a full box of tissues (I wish I was exaggerating.) The protagonist, Tyler (played by Tanner Maguire) is an 8 year-old soccer fanatic... who has cancer. Throughout the movie, you see him writing letters to God (hence the title) and is one of the only positive characters (at least, at first) in the movie. I will stop right there because I will spoil the rest of the movie. However I think it's safe for me to say that, although this movie was entirely predictable, it still hit home and it still made me want to get even closer to God.

For mom and I, this movie really hit home because we went through something similar with my dad. We watched him get sick when he had chemotherapy, we felt what Tyler's mom (played by the lovely Robin Lively) felt -- that hopelessness when someone you love is suffering and you can't figure out what to do, and we definitely know what it was like to be affected (both positively and negatively) a single person. Needless to say, it reopened the wounds that are still healing from daddy's death... but, in a way, I'm glad for it. I am very grateful to have seen it because it made me realize things I hadn't while going through what I did with dad. I got to see it from a more rational perspective. Though I felt physically ill towards the end -- I'd cried so much and the emotions were so raw that I nearly fainted, I'm that sensitive -- I wouldn't have traded watching the movie for anything.

As I said, it was a very predictable plot but I still enjoyed it. I thought the casting was good, and was very impressed with Tanner Maguire (I'd previously seen him in the movie Saving Sarah Cain) and Robin Lively (my favorite Teen Witch ;D) and their performances. I thought they tackled Tyler's battle with cancer as well as the family friend's alcoholism with realism that wasn't overly preachy (which some movies tend to be.) In the end, I'd recommend it... especially if you can handle emotionally heavy films. Be warned: there was not a dry eye in the theater at the end. Not one, I was checking.

Anyway, if you can, this movie is one of the "safer" movies that a family can enjoy as a whole -- so enjoy. :D And that's all I'm saying 'cause I will spoil it rotten if I don't shut up now. lol

'kay, that's it. :D

As always, thanks for reading and God Bless.