NINE LIVES

Nine Lives Rebecca and Mr Fuzzypants

Rebecca (Malma Weissman) shares her feelings with Mr Fuzzypants (Kevin Spacey)

NINE LIVES

By Marlene Ardoin

Jennifer Garner is luminous in “Nine Lives.” She is so wise and tender.  The noble theme is not to become so busy in life that you do not have time to enjoy the beauty in your life. And, that beauty is not another tall building designed by business tycoon, Tom Brand (Kevin Spacey).

Beauty is represented everywhere in this film. Tom’s beautiful wife, Lara (Jennifer Garner), his daugher, Rebecca (Malma Weissman), Rebecca’s birthday cake (spectacular!!) when she turns eleven, and Tom as a cat, himself.  He is magnificent in that form.

Tom’s transformation occurs shortly after stopping by Felix Perkin’s (Christopher Walken) pet shop to pick out a cat, Mr Fuzzypants, for his daughter’s birthday.  For maybe the first time, he is forced to become a part of his own family.  

He also has a wonderful son, David Brand (Robbie Amell) from his first marriage, who is trying his best to make his father proud of him. David goes to heart-wrenching great lengths to do this.

This film has beautiful characters, Jennifer Garner and Christopher Walken as the cat whisperer stand out for me. There is also a lot of go-for-the-crotch slap stick in this, but overall, I came away feeling glad that I saw this film.  

8/28/16 # Nine Lives

MIRACLES FROM HEAVEN

Miracles from Heaven - Garner & Latifa

Angela (Queen Latifah) cheers up Christy Beam (Jennifer Garner) and daughter Anna (Kylie Rogers)

Miracles from Heaven - Real family

Real family, Kevin & Christy Beam, with children (youngest to eldest) Adelynn, Anna, and Abbie.

MIRACLES FROM HEAVEN

By Marlene Ardoin

I came away from “Miracles From Heaven” feeling nourished and stimulated at the same time. This film seeks to ask questions as it relates a true story about a 10 year old girl, who is spontaneously healed from an incurable disease.  She says that God spoke to her.

The girl is Anna (Kylie Rogers). She is one of three daughters, of a veterinarian and his wife (Jennifer Garner), who operate their new business out of their farm in Burleson, Texas in 2011.  Financially, things are tight.

Being one of three daughters probably meant that sibling rivalry was intense, especially being the middle daughter. The question that occurred to me was why did Anna suddenly become ill in the first place?  She is completely normal, then suddenly, her internal intestinal system stops communicating with her digestive system.  I’m just wondering.

There is no question that she is in serious medical trouble. And, her parents have to decide what they are going to do about it.  Anna has wonderful parents. Ironically, the competition is over the mother/father love, which is in short supply for all three children, especially with the new business at their home.

Anna’s father, Kevin Beam (Martin Henderson) seems firm in his resolve to do whatever it takes to manage the financial part. But, financially, things are spiraling out of control.  Miracles do start happening.  People and events start allowing him to do what is needed. Like the computers going down at the airport, when he is trying to take his two other daughters on a flight to Boston to visit his deathly ill daughter Anna and his wife, Christy Beam.

Christy Beam, played convincingly by Garner, abandons faith in God, in favor of personal will to help her ill daughter. She tries waiting for that specialist to call her, but cannot take the pressure to seeing her daughter in severe pain and in steady medical decline.  What she realizes in hindsight, is that she is being tested.  Miracles are happening for her as well, but she does not recognize them, while they are happening.

Queen Latifah plays a big-hearted Boston waitress, Angela, who really is an angel in disguise. You never know who is going to be the gate-keeper to your sanity and your well-being.  Angela is an angel, the new hospital receptionist is an angel and so is the light-hearted specialist, Dr. Nurko (Eugenio Derbez).  They are all Christy’s miracles.

Anna is also being tested. Her roommate at the hospital has cancer.  Spoiler alert, Anna passes her test with flying colors. 

Speaking of miracles, we haven’t even gotten to the main miracle, Anna’s accident, the hollow tree, the butterfly and God.

Whether you are a believer or not, “Miracles from Heaven” will leave you inspired and at peace.

4/3/2016 #Miracles From Heaven