My Daddy's in Heaven

From what I watched (45 minutes is all I could take) I would say, "The acting is REALLY BAD!" I like Christian-based movies and made the assumption that since Corbin Bernsen was in it it would be good. My mistake.

Jenn Gotzon Chandler has acted in a LOT of productions, but this is the first one I've seen with her in it. She was overly dramatic for what the story needed and...well, I wasn't impressed. I hope she finds other productions that fit her talents.

I gave it a thumbs down on Netflix.

Melodrama at its best. Character development is missing. It's difficult to care about any of them. The plot is weak. Everyone grieves at some time and everyone questions their faith. What this movie needed was an inspiring angle. Fell flat for me.

Genuinely couldn't finish this. Very badly acted, overacted would be precise. It's trying to be heartwarming and feel - good, but it's just so rubbish and incoherent. The actor playing Randy is absolutely terrible, my god. Avoid at all costs!

The film, "My Daddy is in Heaven" based on a true story, takes place in a tight-knit farming community where everyone knows one another. The community "godfather" is Vernon (Corbin Bernsen). It is a dramatic story of a couple, Vernon's daughter, Becca (Jenn Gotzon Chandler) and the love of her life, husband Adam (Lane Garrison). The couple are totally dedicated to each other and their little girl Acie (Riley St John). Earl is tragically injured when his ATV crashes into a tree. This is followed by a long hospital stay with many different prognosis. Becca relies on her faith in God to pull Earl through, convinced that God loves Earl as much or more than she does. Ultimately, Becca is faced with the agonizing decision to take Earl off life support. (As one who lost a child after a long period of hospitalization, I can relate to the pain and agony of such a heart-rending loss, and the difficulty of facing life with a positive outlook afterward). Becca leaves her family and tries many different roads to find happiness and cope with her loss. She ultimately finds the only one who can truly heal the hurt in her heart is a loving Heavenly Father. I believe this film is a rare and honest look at the pain and hurt someone experiences from losing a loved one, and trying to fill the void with earthly substitutes. I found the character portrayals by Jenn Gotzon Chandler, Corbin Bernsen, and the entire ensemble cast to be honest and credible. Psalm 30:5b. "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning."

My Daddy's in Heaven is a bit incoherent to me. Lots of things don't make sense. The writing is confusing and the acting rather mediocre. The story is about a Christian woman named Becca (Jenn Gotzon Chandler) who is trying to recover after her husband's death, while also learning how to believe in God again.

Many things in this story are just not practical. The death is quick and you don't have much time to connect with the character. As a viewer, I would have appreciated more backstory on Adam and his family life with Becca and his daughter, Acie (Riley St. John). The husband dies by falling off an ATV. He doesn't crash into anything, he just falls off. It doesn't seem like he is drunk and he doesn't seem to have any medical issues. The ATV doesn't even fall on him. He just falls. Then, it appears as if he gains even more bruises at the hospital. Make-up is very important in a movie and should be consistent. After he officially dies, two weeks after the accident, Becca is visited by a man named, Jimmy Urban who gives her Adam's Bible, which appears to be a message from her husband to believe in God. I'm not sure as the Bible doesn't have much of a point.

Sometimes the acting feels either too over dramatic or too blunt. The characters are all rather bland. You automatically sympathize with Becca because we all know loss is hard. She's definitely depressed and trying to drink her sorrows away. She also has an old high school best friend named June helping her through her grieving period. June is my favorite character in the movie. She reminds me a lot of the characters Rebel Wilson plays and she has the best lines in the film. Unfortunately, she has not yet been given credit on IMBd, but according to the movie credits, her name is Jill Morrison. It's weird how she's the only one not credited. I hope she is soon.

This movie is based on a book called "My Daddy is in Heaven with Jesus". I have not read the book, but from what I know, the movie is not completely accurate to the source material. The movie is more about the wife experiencing the loss of her husband, while the book appears to focus more on the daughter's grieving.

I give this movie 2 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 13 to 18. This is definitely more of a movie that Christians would enjoy. It also reminds me of Hallmark Channel movies. If you like those, you might enjoy this. It comes out March 13, 2018.

reviewed by Calista B., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic. For more reviews by youth, visit kidsfirst dot org.