90 minuti in Paradiso

This is based upon a true story.

Pastor Don Piper (Christensen) is in a terrible car accident. He dies for 90-minutes, goes to Heaven, comes back and has months of endless operations and excruciating pain and doesn't treat family and friends in a good way. His wife, Eva (Bosworth), stands by him regardless.

Okay, okay, we all want to know more about what is in Heaven. Well, to learn more about Heaven you will have to wait for 1-hr and 40 minutes or so before Don reveals his experience.

Yes, this is very slow going, but true believers or wanna-be believers will see this to the end. The acting by all and the pacing is very good. In the meantime we see almost everything Don and his family and friends go through and much of it isn't pretty. Why is Don so angry? Why isn't he more appreciative of what family and friends are going through to help him with their prayers? How can a Pastor behave like this is the question we all ask. Patience as all will be revealed beyond the 1:40 mark. And it probably took a friend and former pastor J.B. Perkins (Fred Thompson) to read the riot act to Don about his behavior.

Dwight Yoakam plays Beau Beaumont, Eva's lawyer, and it's possible this was supposed to be comic relief but perhaps this was the way Beaumont really was. Hard to tell, but he was annoying, not funny.

When Don reveals his experience in Heaven he tells of seeing people of all ages that he knew in life. Contrast this with what Catholics say that all of us will be 33-years of age in Heaven. Something to think about or find others who went to Heaven for a brief time and hear what they have to say regarding the ages of people there. But the true message of this movie is this and only this: Heaven is real.

There is a subtle twist in here regarding Don's telling of the one who prayed for him holding his right hand while in the mashed vehicle. This will give you chills in a good way.

I was struck by the really good photography and by the performances of all. Kate Bosworth was truly invested in her role. Good job.

At the end we see the real Pastor Don Piper who sums up his experience. (7/10)

Violence: Yes, the accident. Sex: No. Nudity: No. Language: No.

I must admit the first time I watched this movie, I did really like it but I watched it again tonight, after 2 years, and I have to say that, this time, I appreciated it very much, It touched me deeply.

I saw it for Hayden Christensen. I discovered a profound beautiful film , religious, no doubt, but more significant for a larger public, for simple - precise- fair translation of a terrible experience, for questions animating part of us, for decent acting and for a story about life purpose , about the others being near us, about good intentions and great battles , about self acceptance and escape from selfishness forms.

So, strange and unfair to be too critic about it.

It offers a story who, at first sight, is too personal for work in other existences. But, this is only at the first sight.

On a bridge, in January 1989, a baptist pastor is victim of a car accident.

Grace to pray of other pastor, and not only, he comes back to life. The steps to a form of cure are painful , not only for him, not only physical. But he is not alone, his beloved family is not alone.

I do not know better manner to say, in a film, this kind of story. So, I see it as a correct film. And this is , for me, the only matter thing.

I have watched 1.5 hours of this movie..nothing about heaven..poor acting at best...It is a drama about an accident but he was in the hospital the whole time so far..nothing about heaven...don't bother unless you really want to watch a slow drama drawing upon heaven for ratings...and it does need some help from heaven for it's ratings.

I was invited to see this premiere at The Fox in Atlanta, not sure why I was invited as everyone there was a pastor or a family member...the mayor was there, the whole cast and then there was my sister and I. I gave it a 3 because at least they're donating $ from the film to help orphanages (one in particular was there that night at the Fox)....and after the movie, what did all of these influential preachers and their family members do? Did they stop and befriend these obviously under-dressed orphans after the movie? While the kids were coming down the stairs in jeans and the best clothes they could put together.....did I see any of the obviously well and overdressed attendees actually try and mingle or minister to them.....on the contrary, the mass audience of "Christians" flocked to the open bars inside the fox to get a cocktail, while the orphans and their friends/family/acquaintances awkwardly, and hurriedly left. As for the movie, what I got from it was a guy who was in severe pain and couldn't be helped by modern medicine....this movie shows that you can get comfort from your church community...IF you belong to one. For those of us that don't, I guess we are on our own or have to rely on our own faith.