This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

The faith-based audience that "Miracles From Heaven" targets will be waiting impatiently for the payoff — the miracle of the title — but it's what happens before the miracle that gives this spiritually alert drama its spark.

Based on the memoir by Christy Beam, the movie follows Christy (Jennifer Garner) and her veterinarian husband, Kevin (Martin Henderson), through a parental nightmare when their 10-year-old middle daughter, Annabel (Kylie Rogers), develops tummy problems. After doctors at home in Texas first try to dismiss it as lactose intolerance or acid reflux, it's found she has a rare and incurable disorder that essentially paralyzes her intestines. Annabel's only hope is a Boston doctor (played by Mexican star Eugenio Derbez) with a nine-month waiting list.

Director Patricia Riggen ("The 33") and screenwriter Randy Brown ("Trouble With the Curve") dig deep into the Beam family story, particularly how Annabel's illness and the cost of treating it stretch the limits of Christy's faith in God.

It's here, before the advertised miracle, where Garner's performance channels Beam's fierce maternal power and raises the important questions of faith under pressure.

'Miracles From Heaven'

Opened Wednesday, March 16, in theaters everywhere; rated PG for thematic material, including accident and medical images; 109 minutes.