Miracles From Heaven is an inspirational story that I am so glad I was able to see with my mom and daughter. As I watched the movie, the one character that really stood out to me was Dr. Nurko, played by Eugenio Derbez. There was something about the way he was able to bring joy and laughter into what would be difficult scenes, left me wowed. But getting to sit down and chat with him and the film’s director, Patricia Riggen, made me like him all the more.
Here’s what they had to say about Miracles From Heaven…
Why was it important for you to take on the role of the Doctor?
Eugenio: Well, it is not often that you get to portray a Latino that is not a criminal…it was very inspiring to portray this Doctor, a Harvard professor, that is a probably number one in his field, who happens to be a Latino and a Mexican…I’m very proud.
Why was it important for you to be a part of this story?
Patricia: There are very few movies like this made nowadays, so when one bumps into it you have to take it. I took it with a lot of responsibility, to be very truthful to the real characters and to bring to the audience a movie that is highly emotional and very uplifting.
Why is working on films that touch upon a social component that affect families important to you?
Eugenio: I love when a movie touches your heart. In my experience when you watch a comedy and you just laugh, there is no message behind the laugh, you leave the theater empty. But when you put heart in the film, you feel related to those who watch the movie. Those elements make the film yours and you walk out feeling related to those characters.
Was there any part of the story that did not make it into the film?
Patricia: When you tell a story on the screen, you have two hours. The sickness was longer, it had more steps. Christy Beam, the mom, had to go through many doctors to get a diagnosis. They kept missing it and she knew something was wrong, and she didn’t stop until she finally reached Dr. Nurko. That I had to condense, but we stayed true to the story, and everything else is in there.
How did you maintain the message of faith and hope while not making it to “religious”?
Patricia: When I got the script, it was very religious and very dogmatic, and I felt we needed to be very open and inclusive of people of different faiths and even for people who have no faith. I consider myself to have very good values…so I made sure to bring those elements into the movie and make it more universal without shying away from the story of faith either. For Jennifer’s character, Christy Beam, faith is at the center of her story, so I completely embraced it.
Miracles From Heaven is now in theaters!!!
