Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.5

90 Minutes in Heaven Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman December 4, 2015

According to Christian belief, the physical death of the ephemeral body is the beginning of eternal spiritual life, a life lived away from the pains and ills of the world, replaced with, for believers who have accepted Jesus Christ as their personal savior, eternal salvation and endless joy in Heaven. The world is full of people who have claimed to witness these glories firsthand, people who have suffered life-threatening trauma that's seen their souls exit their bodies and presented with a fleeting glimpse of the wonders that await in the promised afterlife. Two such stories have recently been made into films, both sourced from books of the same name: Director Randall Wallace's Heaven Is For Real, the story of a young, sickly boy who is taken to Heaven before being returned to health on Earth; and 90 Minutes in Heaven, Director Michael Polish's (The Astronaut Farmer) story of one man's deadly automobile accident, his slow and painful recovery, and his accounts of God's kingdom. While 90 Minutes in Heaven isn't quite as polished as Heaven Is For Real or so family-friendly considering all the blood and, perhaps more important, darker themes that course through its first two acts, it's a quality film that reinforces positive notions of hope and endurance -- which will resonate even with nonbelievers -- and the spiritual helping hands that can help pull anyone through the most difficult tragedy.

The emotional wounds will prove harder to overcome than the physical wounds in '90 Minutes in Heaven.'

Christian Minister Don Piper (Hayden Christensen) is in a terrible car accident. He's declared dead at the scene, but a passerby named Dick Onarecker (Michael Harding) asks to pray over the body. Suddenly, Don regains consciousness, though just barely. He's rushed to the hospital. His body is mangled almost beyond hope and recognition, but after all-night surgery his prospects for survival increase greatly. His wife Eva (Kate Bosworth) remains by his side, but Don struggles to survive both physically and emotionally; he simply lacks the will to go on, even as he has most of his life, a wife, three children, and plenty of friends and colleagues urging him through. Little do they know that in his temporary death, Don has seen something beyond belief that will change his life forever.

90 Minutes In Heaven is sometimes a bit too hard to watch. The film spends the majority of its runtime pouring over every painful detail of Don's accident and recovery. It's not pretty. He's broken physically and, even as he heals, breaks down emotionally. The film is blunt in approach and, in that way, almost makes it more Eva's story and less Don's. The audience feels her pain more than Don's as she struggles, first, with the immediate impact of the accident and what it means for the family's present and future and later as she battles her own fatigue and frustration in the fight to keep her husband not physically alive, but emotionally and spiritually satisfied and prepared to move on with his life. It's a very dark movie that ultimately only reinforces the idea of the resurrection, certainly not divine resurrection but spiritual resurrection and purpose as Don regains trust in himself and his family begins to understand why he's suffered and what positives can come of his pains. The film spends little time on Don's actual visions of Heaven, presenting only a fairly generic collection of bright lights, happy faces, and the pearly gates, but the movie isn't about recreating Heaven. It's about reinforcing the idea that in life there is reason, that in pain there is purpose, that in faith there is something far greater than the suffering -- be it extreme physical and emotional suffering, as in Don's case, or spiritual suffering in the journey through life -- for those who choose to believe.

Technically, the film lacks the polish of Heaven Is For Real but enjoys a bump in production values over other lower budget Christian titles. Beyond the mangled car and some grisly blood and bruising makeup, there's not a lot to the film's needs. Various hospital locations and a few name actors make up most of the obvious on-screen pieces, which allows the story to take center stage without being overwhelmed by supportive elements. Acting is a little disappointing. Hayden Christensen is better here as an emotionally wounded man than he was in the Star Wars films. The more grounded, everyman sort of character suits him better than a hero with an evil streak and a dark destiny, though both characters suffer from deep emotional turmoil. The performance finds a satisfactory amount of personal depth and good interaction with his co-stars, but there's a rather forced accent that dials the performance down a notch or two. Dwight Yoakam delivers some much needed comic relief in the role of a slick Texas attorney when the film is at its darkest. But it's Kate Bosworth who dominates the film. As noted earlier, it's her emotional journey that's practically at film's center. Though she's always perfectly manicured and makeup-ed in every scene -- hardly believable considering the emotional madness and physical toll her husband's suffering takes on her -- she digs deep to find a very pointed, grounded, and (otherwise) believable hurt and uncertainty as she deals with the real-world realities that develop in the aftermath, her husband's emotional struggle to live, and, of course, her own struggles to maintain composure and remain the rock her family needs her to be.

90 Minutes in Heaven Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

90 Minutes in Heaven's 1080p transfer, sourced from a digital shoot, looks quite nice all around. The image reveals fine detailing in a hint of smoothness but enjoys good, complex facial definition, including pores, Don's mustache, and even some depth and intricate detail on wounds, particularly the heavy bruising effect makeup that covers his right eye for much of the movie. Basic textures around the hospitals and his home, such as linens, reveal positive, lifelike definition. An early film woodland sequence is also impressive, with plenty of aggressively detailed tree trunks and foliage. Colors are excellent, with that purple bruising standing apart from an otherwise bland hospital room and Don's peach but wounded skin. Red blood and Don's red Taurus enjoy excellent shading. Warm wooden pews and burgundy carpet in the church are both full and satisfying. Black levels raise no alarms. Very minor banding and noise are evident in places but won't bother most viewers. This is a solid all-around presentation from Universal.

90 Minutes in Heaven Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

90 Minutes in Heaven features a healthy and active DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Gentle rain saturates the listening area to start, increasing in intensity and realistically pelting Don's car -- heard in every speaker -- before the wreck. The heavy crash yields a positive deep weight, supported by the sounds of flying debris scattering around the stage. Musical definition is fine, flowing freely and spaciously and swelling with gusto in key moments. Light atmospheric details, particularly in the hospital and in the form of machine beeps and footfalls, help draw the audience into that environment. Later, a joyful din fills the stage at a birthday party (which also includes the anachronistic presentation of "I Hope You Dance"). Basic dialogue is healthy and firm with positive center placement and prioritization. Light reverberation fills churches on a couple of occasions. It's not a very flamboyant track, but it's naturally immersive and precise.

90 Minutes in Heaven Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

90 Minutes in Heaven contains two featurettes and a spot for Giving Films charities. A voucher for a UV/iTunes digital copy is included with purchase.

• Meet the Real Pipers (1080p, 10:01): The family shares the story of their journey from book to film, living through the real life event, remaining close as a family, using the story to minister to others, and more.
• The Making of 90 Minutes in Heaven (1080p, 9:32): A look at writing the book, transitioning it to film, finding the right people to make it, ensuring accuracy, casting, and more.
• Giving Films (2:23): A look at Giving Films' charity work.

90 Minutes in Heaven Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

90 Minutes in Heaven is the first from Giving Films, a production outfit affiliated with the nonprofit Family Christian retail stores that donate all profits to charity. And much like that mission statement, the movie inspires hope and a positive outlook on life. It champions the power of kindness, compassion, and faith. It shows the value of belief in oneself, family, friends, and, of course, a higher power and a better place. It's a bit too dark -- physically and emotionally -- for younger audiences, but credit this Christian film, like Ragamuffin, for not pulling too many punches and offering a more honest and realistic look at life's hardships and how faith can turn even the most dire situation into something positive. Universal's Blu-ray release of 90 Minutes in Heaven delivers very good video and audio. A couple of featurettes are included. Recommended.