The Miracle of the Cards (2001)

Based On A True Story Films

Coming into a movie of its sorts you're expecting the sorrows, with your klenex close by. Having this about a child allows for the water works.
The young antagonist of the movie comes across as a delightful personality. He's into football, and for Christmas his parents give him a new bike, but he's tired. He's lying on the sofa.
After the holidays, he mentions an earache, but the doc doesn't think much of it. Mom and the pharmacist at the drugstore believe otherwise, as he worsens. With the days passing, his mom worries about a developing nightmare.
Any parent can understand the dread, and fears, when their precious child is in harms way.
The way various family members take to the boy's serious illness feels real. It's a combination of elements.
My one gripe is with the mom shortly losing her focus. Her son's illness should've come before breaking the record. May 31, 2008

Love this movie!

This is a very inspiring movie, much loved by my grandson. Thank you for such speedy service. The dvd arrived in great condition. Thanks. May 25, 2008

Touching

How closely this overtly Christian film hews to the "true" story I don't know, but I thought it worthwhile. The principals carry their parts off well, though Catherine Oxenberg, the American actress who plays the English mother, has trouble with the English accent throughout and doesn't quite get the English mannerisms across.

The flow of the picture is a tad too easy-going, considering the harrowing nature of the boy's illness, but, in general, the tone is appropriate. The brief appearance of Richard Thomas is one of the highlights.

Parts of the film evidently were shot in the U.K., but most of it appeared to be made in Vancouver. The frequent display of the Union Jack is a contrivance intended to add some authenticity to the shots, but is not typical of the British, who generally do not express their patriotism that way. There's quite a bit of mild swearing of the British variety, but it will go past most American viewers.
August 10, 2007

Not as good or as bad as the other reviews would claim...!

When I learned the premise that The Miracle of the Cards is based on, that discovery was met with an inward groan. Here it is: a young boy with a brain tumor, not likely to survive, wants to break the Guinness Book of World Records count for receiving get-well cards. I was glad to see that the movie is based on a true story, at least, and not some urban legend or internet hoax.

The story is told mostly through flashbacks during a sceptical reporter's interviews with the young patient's parents. From the mother's nightmares of seeing her son in a coffin (which began before his first symptoms), to his hospitalization and diagnosis with a rare form of cancer and his pursuit of the record for most cards received, this sentimental story is worth watching if you can remind yourself that it is based on a true story and that it's not a sappy takeoff on an urban legend / internet hoax.

Good production values, a few solid performances and what could have been a more compelling story line are unfortunately offset somewhat by a premise that has been defamed by internet hoaxes and by the length of the film at 89 minutes. Whether or not an hour and a half was needed to tell this story is debatable, but when a movie feels too long, it probably is. March 14, 2006

Very touching movie, watched it with my children.. God can use many things to answer our prayers...

I was compelled to watch this movie after I read 2 reviews on this site stating it was an Insult to God, that this Mother gave all her glory to the Cards, stating the movie should be thrown in the trash & ends with scriptures -- Then an earlier review saw only Hypocrisy. I'm thinking, WHAT??!! A movie like this, I just had to take a look! As a Christian myself (obviosly not the kind they are, what would they have done - given their son a sermon every day while he laid in the hospital bed ?). I DID NOT see this Mother giving GLory to the cards at all, I counted the times she thanked God, and they were MANY ...What I seen was a Mother who was guided, who believed, who hoped, who dared to do whatever it took to save her son's life (which is love), she saw the light in his eyes when he opened his cards, he believed all those people sending cards were praying for him, this gave him Hope/Encouragement -which his Doctor ordered the parents to give him, what he NEEDED. How can one not see God (or inspiration) at work in this? Life is full of wonderful things in wonderful unexpected ways, even in the midst of some of the chaos, He is there. This card campaign -which spanned the globe- might have led to a Guinness Book World record, but the more important thing was it led to a Doctor in the United States who was able to perform the surgery to save his life. So God Used the "Cards", or He allowed the Card Campaign to be used to bring these important people into this child's life-to save Him. What could be more glorious than that, what Joy to these parents, what answered prayer. It's an incredible story, and it's TRUE--which makes it even better! Funny thing is, all these years later, those crazy cards are still coming, thanks to some chain letters on the internet that just won't die. I think all of us should be this sensitive to what gives OUR CHILDREN hope/encouragement in a time such as this. December 18, 2005

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