Jennifer Garner Takes Us to Heaven Again

Jennifer Garner's new faith-based film treads some familiar ground as it tells the story of a child who claims to have experienced a trip to heaven, followed by a miraculous return to health. It's a formula that has the potential to resonate with faith-based audiences and has produced at least one surprise hit film in the past.

Miracles from Heaven is the story of a pre-teen girl who experiences a fall and hits her head. After the accident, she claims that during her near-death experience, she spends some time in heaven but is sent back to Earth by Jesus. After her return, she is miraculously cured from a chronic intestinal disorder that had plagued her through childhood.

The heaven-and-back story has been a popular one in recent years. In 2014, Heaven Is for Real told the story of a young boy who claimed to have experienced a trip to heaven during a near-death experience while undergoing surgery. The film was a surprise hit, eventually taking in $91 million at the box office. In 2015, 90 Minutes in Heaven told the story of a man who experienced his trip to heaven after a near-fatal car accident. This film was much less successful, perhaps because the idea of a heaven-bound toddler is more compelling than that of an adult brought back to life.

Miracles from Heaven debuts in theaters on March 16 and stars Garner as the mother of the miraculous child.