Manna From Heaven (2002)

Critic Reviews

• Matt Weitz, Dallas Morning News

  You can tell what Manna wants to be -- a light-hearted-yet-profound, feel-good flick in the same vein as It's a Wonderful Life -- but it falls woefully short.

• Nat Johnson, Village Voice

  It's shot like a Lifetime-influenced student film, and the overall artlessness makes the spoony dialogue all the more glaring.

• Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter

  Too cute by half and at least a half-hour too long.

• Megan Lehmann, New York Post

  The five sisters responsible for the old-fashioned fable 'Manna From Heaven' have a lot of plates spinning in the air -- but even their 10 hands aren't enough to overcome the hokey, overstuffed plot and a messily hand-stitched, often illogical script.

• Dave Kehr, New York Times

  While it would be easy to fault its lack of technical polish, somewhat discursive script and uneven performances, it is also refreshingly sincere, gentle and good-natured.

• Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times

  The Burtons' hearts are in the right place, but they need to get more tough-minded.

• Liz Perle, Common Sense Media

  Well-meaning movie will bore younger kids

• James Plath, Movie Metropolis

  Malick's character quips, 'I'd hate to be a diabetic with all the sweetness floating around this joint,' and that's essentially one of the biggest problems.

• Matt Brunson, Creative Loafing

  The quality of the film doesn't quite match the loving care placed into it.

• Frank Swietek, One Guy's Opinion

  A flimsy, overcomplicated little comedy that--despite the title--is hardly a gift to audiences, divine or otherwise.

• Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone, TheMovieChicks.com

  Like manna, the movie is sweet but a little thin.

• Sean Means, Salt Lake Tribune

  The movie's cloying cuteness and homespun sanctimony make the low production values even harder to forgive.

• Jeff Vice, Deseret News, Salt Lake City

  You may pull a muscle trying not to cringe as such long-time screen veterans as Shirley Jones, Cloris Leachman and Frank Gorshin embarrass themselves with over-the-top performances.

• Jean Lowerison, San Diego Metropolitan

  Manna from Heaven is labor of love that may not be the best film of the year, but at least you'll come away smiling.

• Harry Haun, Film Journal International

  There's a calculated stab at 'feel-good' afoot here, but, more often than not, the film just feels tired.

• Maitland McDonagh, TV Guide's Movie Guide

  A bit amateurish, but wholesome and achingly sweet.

• , E! Online

  This clumsy comic fable, which mixes Catholic themes, family infighting and a flurry of lame wisecracks, is no gift from God.

• David Sterritt, Christian Science Monitor

  It would be better if it weren't quite so sitcommy and if it didn't outlast its ideas.

• Mark Olsen, L.A. Weekly

  Though its heart is in the right place, this would-be feel-good sensation never puts the other pieces together.

Read all 19 critic reviews