Overall Thoughts: Sincere faith-based story won't win awards, but inspires nonetheless.
I have to admit, The Girl Who Believes in Miracles wasn't a highly-anticipated movie on my count. I've seen many stories on the big screen about miracles. And, at the same time, it was under my radar until about a few weeks ago. That being said, it's nice to see faith-based films decide to stay on the big screen instead of going straight to streaming.
However, I shouldn't have doubted. While it's not perfect, Girl manages to hit almost all of the right marks. Most of all, it manages to inspire in a sincere, genuine way. The best Christian movies succeed in doing so without forcing the bottom line. This is all accomplished from a story that goes in a few unexpected directions, as well as a terrific cast.
Speaking of the story, I feel like this movie's script is 100% based off the mantra, "God works in mysterious ways." And that's because the film pulls off several surprises (particularly towards the end) that really make you rethink which way the movie is going. Now, I will say, sometimes these elements pulled off with a little too much melodrama. However, it's still a daring and very strong narrative choice. I also thought that the idea of not every main character seeing some particular miracles play out was a good idea also.
As Sarah, Austyn Johnson (The Greatest Showman) exudes the sincerity and innocence needed for this role. However, the adult cast is pretty strong too. Mira Sorvino is emotionally-connected to her role as Sarah's mom Bonnie, while Kevin Sorbo convincingly channels a skeptical doctor (in some ways, it's a toned-down version of his character in God's Not Dead). But, the film's most memorable character was definitely Sarah's grandfather. Being honest, I was very surprised to learn when writing this review that Peter Coyote (E.T.) was playing him! He's terrific here, nailing the stubborn and big-hearted aspects of his character. He's also given one of the film's strongest scenes about three-quarters of the way through.
The overall production aspects of the film are kept simple mostly. The music score is relatively unambitious and doesn't go far beyond a simple range. The cinematography, costume design, and production design work carry a low-budget feel. The glaring exception to this, however, is an impressive visual effects scene late in the film that nicely reinforces the message home.
I did feel like the film needed more humorous moments. As Sarah's older brother's girlfriend, Tommi Rose had a couple of lightly hysterical moments, and had the potential to provide some comedy relief. Ultimately, the film glosses over this in favor of keeping the itself focused on the more emotional elements.
That being said, watching Girl felt like a nice break from the more serious and VFX-heavy films that have populated cinemas in recent times. Granted, it's not going to make Top 10 lists at the end of 2021. But that doesn't rob it of its' sincerity nor its' surprises or inspiring message.
In the end, the best thing I can say about this movie is that it proves that miracles are as relevant and timely as ever before. And that's exactly the kind of inspiration we need in this world today.
Grade: B+
Is this movie family friendly? The Girl Who Believes in Miracles is rated PG for "thematic content, a brief fight and brief smoking". Honestly, I don't think I would have enjoyed this movie as a young child. The emotional content may make some sensitive children upset. Otherwise, the film has a few relatively mild content hiccups. A group of teenagers get away with drinking and smoking (one drives under the influence briefly as well). One of them also uses the profane expression, "what the h***?" once. We also hear "oh my g**" out of shock a few times, as well as "sucks" and "jerk". We see Sarah's grandfather get into a brief scuffle with two teenagers trying to steal food from a restaurant. Ultimately, this may be a decent choice for families with children ages 7 or 8 and up, especially for those who may be ready to handle the more emotional, thematic content.
