The Girl Who Believes in Miracles (2021)

The Girl Who Believes in Miracles is at its best when it leans into the audacity of childlike faith—treating hope not as a slogan, but as a force that ripples through a whole community. Rich Correll directs with an earnest, big-hearted sincerity, giving Mira Sorvino and Austyn Johnson room to ground the story in family warmth even as the town’s attention turns the extraordinary into a pressure cooker. The vibe is wholesome and emotional, a faith-forward drama that aims for uplift while still acknowledging how messy, public, and complicated belief can become. It won’t be for everyone—especially if you’re allergic to explicitly Christian storytelling or heavy illness themes—but if you’re open to a heartfelt movie about compassion, courage, and the cost of miracles, it’s an easy one to recommend.

The Girl Who Believes in Miracles is aiming for an earnest, faith-forward tearjerker about the power of belief, community, and how attention can crush a child who never asked to be a symbol. The problem is the filmmaking often feels like a sermon acted out rather than a natural drama, with clunky dialogue, obvious emotional beats, and a slow, TV-movie rhythm that can make the “miracle” moments land more cheesy than moving. If you’re not already on board with faith-based storytelling, or you need subtlety and nuance instead of big, declarative messaging, this will likely test your patience. That said, the young lead brings real sincerity, and viewers who want a clean, devotional drama designed to spark conversation (and a good cry) may find it effective despite the heavy hand.