Letters to God
Tags: romantic, christian film

Plot synopsis:
Tyler Doherty (Tanner Maguire) is an 8 year-old suffering from cancer who has a love for writing and sending letters to Jesus. His local postman, Walter Finley (Christopher Schmidt), takes them to his office after work. His boss sees them and instructs Walter to take care of them.
Later Mr. Finley goes on an extended vacation, causing an alcoholic named Brady McDaniels (Jeffrey Johnson) to replace him temporarily. Brady is a regular at the "Bar and Grill" and close to the bartender, Jack, his former commanding officer in the military. On his first day of work, Brady is chased and bit by Mrs. Baker's dog, "Rooster," and is confused by the "Letters to God" that he picks up from the Doherty house.
That same day Tyler returns to school after two months of brain tumor surgery, MRIs and radiation. The Doherty family has been through a lot; in addition to Tyler's cancer, they have also lost Patrick Doherty, Tyler's father. Tyler's first day of school starts off with Alex, who makes fun of Tyler for being bald and having little eyebrows. In response to one episode of this, Tyler's friend Samantha Perryfield (Bailey Madison), pushes Alex's face in his mashed potatoes, causing them to be sent to the principal's office. In response to kids making fun of Tyler, Samantha takes him to her grandfather, Cornelius Perryfield (Ralph Waite), who tells him that he has been picked by God for a special mission.
Tyler sends more letters to God, with Brady picking them up each day. Brady initially wants to give them to a church, but the pastor says that Brady should keep them. Brady reads some of them, and they inspire him to be a better person. Brady develops a close relationship to the Dohertys and to Mrs. Doherty, Maddie (Robyn Lively) in particular. Ben (Michael Bolten), Tyler's older brother, became upset at how life at the house revolves around Tyler, who hearing his words threatens to jump off a second-story porch roof in response. Ben then tells Tyler that he is not mad at him, but misses the fun times they had together when Tyler was healthy, and is afraid of losing him. In response Tyler has Ben write his own letter to God.
Maddie later reads Ben letter that inspires her to be a better mother and takes goes Ben to get his driver's license. Later, Tyler finishes getting chemotherapy and is released. The nurses remind Maddie that Tyler's body is not very fit yet. Brady and Tyler both plead with Maddie to let Tyler's play on his soccer team. During the game, the soccer coach, accedes to Tyler's plea to play goalkeeper. His team wins, but Tyler then faints and is taken to the hospital. Brady is angrily blamed by Mrs. Doherty for encouraging Tyler to play, but she later apologizes. It was shown later that Brady had been in jail for DUI, and that his son, Justin, was taken away from him by his wife. He turns away from his old life, and throws away his whiskey, and later thanks God for giving His Son to for giving him (Brady) his own son back. At a talent show, Ben sings and Brady and postal workers bring in bags and bags of letters to God, including those from others that Tyler inspired. Brady also shares how Tyler impacted his life, enabling him to find faith in God. Tyler later succumbs to his illness, and passes away at home. Samantha dedicates a mailbox for letters to God, saying that "His life was a letter to God."
The film closes with snippets of others of faith who battled and sometimes beat cancer,

Review: This was like a bad b movie without the 80's charm.It's a shame really, because the real story it is based on, is one worth telling..
written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts." Those words - which are featured in the closing caption of the movie - are from 2 Corinthians 3:3, and really serve as the basis for this entire project.
It's the story of young Tyler, suffering from an incurable type of brain cancer, who deals with his affliction by writing letters to God - letters which end up transforming the lives of virtually everyone he knows and many people he doesn't know.
Tyler becomes - in the words of Mr. Perryfield (who's played by Ralph Waite, who may be the only actor in this I was familiar with) - "God's warrior." I may not like that particular imagery, but I understand the sentiment, and the movie makes the point that a little faith can go a long way.
I think that people are going to end up judging this on the basis of their own belief or lack of belief in God rather than on the actual quality of the movie.
Tyler's story is great - at least according to this he faced his death with great courage - but I wondered about the decision to end the movie with stories of people of faith who've recovered from cancer and are going on with life.
I fear that in the end those stories tended to blur the memory of Tyler's story, which to me offered a far more powerful witness to the importance of faith - that faith could give a young boy the courage to face his own death and still keep the needs of others first and foremost in his thoughts (because many of the letters he wrote to God were intercessions for others.) To me, that was far more important than the stories of the cancer survivors at the end of the movie.
I understand that it was a way of showcasing Tyler's faith and his impact on people, but it seemed to move the spotlight on to Brady at that moment - which was not where it should have been!But there was a lot here I liked as well.
I can never understand why people are not offended or embarrassed by graphic violence, derogatory humor, sexual content in movies, but mention God or prayer and people feel they need to apologize...why???
If you believe in God and the power of prayer, however, I don't see how you can come away from this movie not being moved.
I believe the best movies are those that make us think, reflect on our lives, and inspire us to do more.
Spend a few hours at a Children's hospital and you will see the THOUSANDS of family members affected by any terminal illness not to mention their friends at school, co-workers/friends/neighbors of their parents, relatives.My son never cried in the movie, he wasn't afraid, he was proud to see another with a large scar, going through similar things he has, being called God's Warrior in the movie gave him the biggest smile.
Therefore, no one has any logical support to back up there reason for a 1 star rating, probably because they haven't even SEEN the movie they just decide "hey, what I believe is right and I don't believe there is a God so I'm just going to lowly rate this in some attempt to demean or put down all who do believe in him." People are so stupid and you just can't trust what you see nowadays.I'm not even a Christian and I thoroughly enjoyed this movie.
Most Christians don't try to prove anything to non-Christians, we let it go that a lot of the world doesn't believe in God. That's totally fine.
However, after watching this movie, it left me feeling like I wanted to say more on the story.
Watch this movie, learn from it, and live a full life, as you don't know whats around the corner....
A young boy courageously faces cancer by writing prayers as Letters to God. Excellent movie that will challenge and inspire you.
Takes on the difficult issues of life threatening health issues and how your faith can be challenged and possibly increased by facing the unfacable.The production quality, music and acting is dramatically improved relative to movies like Facing the Giants, which was produced by the same people for about 1/10th the budget.
Other music was done by the Seattle Symphony Orchestra.As Tyler, an eight year old boy, faces his cancer, he mostly courageously smiles and encourages those around him.
The second half of the movie really picks up the pace as several of the characters come face to face with their own issues and Tyler and his Letters (prayers) to God serve as lightning rods of Hope.
I would suggest you bring some Kleenex and invite everyone you know who's family has been affected by cancer to see the movie.
While the writers and director of "Letters to God" no doubt had good intentions, this movie disappoints and embarrasses in so many ways.
A few professional actors try to pull this one off but a terribly written script won't let them.Christians need to start doing better with compelling writing, quality acting and stories that are real and not out of a dated formula that never worked in the first place.Don't waste your time on this one.
This is a great movie about the trials and tribulations of dealing with cancer and death and our struggle as humans on the topic of a higher power.
The emphasis on devotion to family is something that should be cherished by all people and this film delivers the true meaning of love and loss, and the fluctuating path life often takes.
What amounts to unrealistic character development is used to tell the true tale of a family and a young man struggling to battle cancer and struggling to comprehend God's role in their lives.
The overall message of "finding truth" and illustrating how each of our lives can be a testament (or letter) itself to God is a great analogy.
If viewed with an open mind and a hopeful heart, this movie will make you think and will move you to tears.
It's based on a true story of a boy fighting cancer and his effect on the lives of the people around him.
An awkwardness in Christian movies--one that this film cannot overcome--is the need to highlight prayer as an action.
That's okay, but it seems the great amount of talent, effort, and money used will ultimately result in a movie that sits on the library shelves of churches across the country.Bottom line: "Letters to God" is a good movie that I can't recommend to my non-Christian friends..
You can't go into this type of movie expecting the best acting and producing Hollywood has to offer, but I feel that they did a good job given their resources.
To Save a Life is making a stir in the market, and Letters to God is supposed to be the most widely opened Christian movie since Passion.
If you're interested in a great heartfelt story that will make you appreciate your life and put this life in perspective, then go check out Letters to God and support the Christian film market..
The real-life Patrick Tyler Doughtie (renamed Tyler Doherty in this movie) and his battle with cancer is very well portrayed by young actor Tanner Maguire .
However, due to the fact that there is a lot of prayer and a lot of mentioning God's name and a lot of receiving Jesus into your life throughout this movie, I know that it will be loved by Believers and probably either disliked or merely tolerated (and misunderstood) by Unbelievers.
This is a great Christian movie to watch and it will have you leaving the theaters 'renewed' in spirit!
He writes letters to God. Talking about his feelings and things he hope God will do for his family, friends and neighbors.
Yes this movie has to do with God, the name says so, so i seriously wonder why anyone is shocked to see the references, it is not blatant and in your face, but it does have to do with Christianity, if that is a problem, then don't watch it, don't complain and act like you couldn't have possibly known.
When an 8 year old boy battling cancer starts writing letters to God some amazing things start happening.
The emotions they must go through each day and the strength they all have inside.This movie deals with life and death and the love and inspiration we leave behind.
I feel that anyone that watches this and only sees it as the writer trying to push a religion in their face has really missed a lot, besides it is in fact called "Letters to God"..
While the movie had a Christian message, it is based on a true story about the life of a Christian boy and how he impacted others.
I have a friend who is going through the very same situation with her little boy right now and they are holding fast to their faith in God and the fact that HE is in control and His will is perfect.
This movie is based on a true story about an 8 year old named Tyler Doughtie who fought cancer.
It shows the way he dealt with cancer and how others that entered his life dealt with it and were touched by Tyler.It is a Christian movie and it shouldn't stop people from seeing this movie.
He shows us a glimpse into a heart filled with hope and trust in God. He makes you think.
Those of us who have watched a loved one fight cancer can relate to Tyler's family and it is nice to know that others feel the same way and that even in the darkest of times, God is there and He is using your struggle to witness to others that need to hear the message.
Well I do not believe in god but I decided to watch this movie and I will give it a review and rating on its merits, not my beliefs.
It brought tears to my eyes and if you have half a heart it will do the same to you.While I may not believe in god, I do have faith in human beings, and hope someday we can all work together regardless of our beliefs.
There are so many like the child and family depicted in this movie that are struggling with trusting God when life seems hopeless.
Christian or not this movie has a great story line as well as it rings true to the experience of those battling cancer..
People Who Don't Know and Are Afraid of God. The movie was outstanding, no doubt about it.
This movie shows that the young man made his choice to stand on the side of truth, and not on the side of the world which alienates itself from its Creator, God Almighty Himself.
I urge everyone to try and see this film with an open mind and, then talk to God about where you are headed in your life and when you die..
This time it is a boy possibly facing death & he writes letters to his god hoping he will read them.
I am sure this movie could have done a lot better at the box office if it had been toned down into a proper film & not made to look like a recruiting video for you know who!.
The movie did make me feel sad but along with that it gave me a message of hope and courage to move on.
Letters to God was such a great movie!
Now the story, well, that's something else, if you're looking for an inspiring not great acted movie, this is for you, since this is a true story, you're in for a "great, trip of emotions" and at the end you should be able to make sense to it.
Beautiful character, great faith and trusting God are marks of this big little boy.
But then again, this movie can deliver the touching story so fine that it inspired an Indonesian movie "Surat Kecil Untuk Tuhan", literally translating to Small Letters To God, which had less Christian theme and, on the contrary, gets very sad..
Right off the bat, you have your case studies for a wholesome, family-friendly Christian film.The wholesome film in question is Letters to God, which takes two real-life, relatable stories and degrades them with the kind of weepy, melodramatic screen writing that feels less like an emotional experience and more like a forceful extraction of tears from your tearducts.
Madison works to steal every scene she's in, with her ample amounts of energy, her illuminating smile, and her ability to add the most passable emotional leverage to a film already soaked to the marrow in dreary simplification and cheap, emotional manipulation.Letters to God caters to the demographic I've long wrote about when discussing contemporary Christian cinema, which is the kind of people that seek out these films and will love them no matter how abysmal the story, how incredulous the situational drama, or how ridiculous the dialog.
Not to mention, it's one of the only moments in the film where God isn't given a shoutout at least once every sentence.Reading this review, you may think I loathe Christian cinema and detest every product it has produced in recent years.
Great movie of friendship, faith and family.
Thank the film for not compromising the message of God's love with hope and renewed faith for all..
Refreshingly Innocent in this Jaded and Filth-filled Age. It is amazing that there are people still showing faith that God's love for His children is as relevant today as it was 2000 years ago.
Watch this movie and follow the lives of people where a loved one is dying of cancer.
"Letters to God" avoids these mistakes.God is not really the subject of the story, we can watch the movie from an atheistic point of view : The letters are a medium to communicate with everybody and to make psychological analysis on self.The life or death of the little boy is not either the subject.
But yes, it was a great movie, a bit depressing because I hate watching sick people, but yet awesome throughout another movie I recommend that has been shot down in ratings by atheist on IMDb is The book of Eli. Wish religious people and all people happiness and Love for the rest of their life.
This movie was about a courageous young boy who had cancer.
He wrote prayers in the form of letters to God. His faith moved those around him, including a mailman who had troubles of his own.At first, I didn't know what to expect.
This helps people believe that God is merciful Where is the hope?
For a child to love like this, despite what he was going through is amazing.It was sad but you know people face these types of emotions and the Mom was simply being real.
The film had a great message showed a tenderness and vulnerability in men (and women and children) struggling with real hardship, and life-and-death issues.
To know that the love of a young child for God actually made a difference!
Good movie, with a theme of Christian belief and the power of prayer..
As part of his faith he writes letters to God, sometimes more than one a day.
The new mail man is eventually influenced by Tyler and his letters to God.Yes, this is a worthwhile movie for the message..
Letters to God are the inspiring words of a child with cancer..
SPOILER ALERT I just fell in love with these characters and wanted that boy to get better, that would have really been an awesome message, but what we had was one of the longest death watches I've ever seen in a movie, thats my only complaint.
Sometimes we feel like there's no hope in life and we try to find happiness in different ways but there an absolute truth that you can only find happiness through God. I'm sure everyone in us is experiencing difficult times in our life and ask why is this happening to me.
"Letters to God" is a film that everyone should go and see.
Tyler has good days and bad which take on great meaning in the film because this is what cancer patients constantly face on a daily basis.Tyler's letters are picked up by Brady McDaniels, the postman.
It is Tyler's inspiration through his letters to God that transforms Brady's heart.
If you liked "Facing The Giants" and "Fireproof" take a look at "Letters to God".
An amazing movie of a young 10 year old boys courage in a fight against Cancer, and his letters to God that changed a whole community and still is affecting the world.
Sure, as a Christian, I may be biased towards liking this movie.
I would love to own this movie and watch it all the time, even though I don't know where to get a copy.
I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a very serious drama movie to watch that even Christians can agree on liking.
If you aren't one, I still recommend it in case you have ever lost someone close to you in your life, much like the characters do at the end of the movie..
Okay, I realize that this was probably a bad choice for people who do not believe the Christianity bologna, but based on the previews I thought this was just going to be a cute movie.
I think this movie serves for a market of believers and can move those whose lives have been touched by cancer.