Do you need hope in times of distress? Watch MIRACLE AT MANCHESTER streaming on Pure Flix starting April 1st! It’s an inspiring film based on the true story of a teenager and the power of prayer! The film is named after the Manchester Athletic Field at Cathedral Catholic High School where Brycen Newman found his miracle when 1,800 students prayed over him.
MIRACLE AT MANCHESTER is the latest film from JCFilms Studios (The Twitter Files, Finding Faith). It stars Kory Getman as Brycen Newman, Eddie McClintock as Richard Newman, Dean Cain as Dr. Getty, Kathy Patterson as Marilyn Hanson, Daniel Roebuck as Ed Hanson, and Nick Avila as Miles Himmel. Directed by Eddie McClintock, edited by Daniel Fajardo, and music by Emmanuel Segarra.
Watch MIRACLE AT MANCHESTER with your family today and be inspired!
Synopsis
God is still in the business of miracles. Based on a true story, a 15-year-old high school athlete’s plans change in an instant when he’s diagnosed with a very aggressive and fast-growing brain cancer. But the power of prayer and support from his community brings hope and healing, and renews his father’s faith.
Themes
- Power of Prayer
- God’s sovereignty and His power to perform miracles
- Charity for others and your community
- Hope in times of distress
Background
In June 2015, a high school sophomore named Brycen Newman was diagnosed with medulloblastoma. One month after undergoing emergency surgery to remove a large tumor, doctors discovered three more tumors growing in the teen’s brain.
With only a 5% chance to survive, the whole student body rallied around Brycen and prayed for him. Two students from Cathedral Catholic High School were cast in the movie: Lauren Owens who played Riley and Breanna Laureti who played Lucy.
The baseball field in the movie is the same baseball field where Brycen hit a walk-off double in the 11th inning to bring home the city championship for Cathedral Catholic’s freshman team. That was the first freshman baseball championship his school had won.
The football field where the football scenes were filmed is the same Manchester Athletic Field where Brycen’s football teammates revealed they had all shaved their heads in team spirit with Brycen going bald from treatments.
Brycen miraculously survived and now his passion is to help other kids dealing with cancer. The Miracle at Manchester Foundation was created by Brycen to connect every hospitalized child with their friends, family, and school, enabling them to cope with the separation during long-term treatment for cancer.
The real Brycen Newman supposedly appears in several scenes in the movie, but I couldn’t spot him. Photos of him can be seen in the end credits, along with his family and classmates.
Plot
Brycen Newman, a beloved member of his high school’s football and baseball teams, suddenly starts experiencing unexplained headaches. As the headaches continue and other symptoms crop up, Brycen’s parents take him to the emergency room, where his symptoms are dismissed as dehydration or stress.
Richard Newman, Brycen’s dad, takes the advice of a coworker to seek help for his son from a neurosurgeon. The surgeon advises him that Brycen needs immediate surgery. The operation is successful, but Brycen’s problems aren’t over yet.
Brycen’s classmates and girlfriend pray and rally around Brycen as he continues his battle in the hospital. Like many teens, Brycen had begun dreaming about his first car, and he draws what looks like a Ford Mustang in his sketchbook.
In addition to Brycen’s story, another story is told in the film. Ed Hanson is a car mechanic and body shop owner who gives special deals to veterans. He also spends long hours working on fixing up old cars in his garage. He just got a rusty, rundown 1967 Ford Mustang.
In the beginning, the movie switches back and forth between these two parallel stories of Brycen and the Hansons. At first you may wonder what the connection is, but then you find out that Marilyn is Brycen’s nurse and she inspires Ed to take an interest in Brycen’s case.
Ed and Marilyn Hanson are such a nice couple, they’re actually my favorite characters in this film! As Ed Hanson explains, in his industry, they refer to rust as “cancer” on a car. Over the course of many months, Hanson works on fixing up the rusty Mustang while at the same time Brycen works on restoring his health.
Comments
MIRACLE AT MANCHESTER is an uplifting faith-based film that’s suitable for the whole family. This movie shows us the power of family, friendship, and prayer. We as people can encourage those in dire need, but only God can perform miracles.
However, I always have mixed feelings about these types of movies. On the one hand, it’s great that this boy experienced a miracle; but on the other hand, what about all the other young cancer victims who didn’t make it? I’m sure many of their family and friends were praying just as hard. I feel bad for those people and wonder what they think when they see these kinds of movies.
That being said, teenagers should watch MIRACLE AT MANCHESTER and consider how they might help someone who’s undergoing suffering in their life. It’s sad to see all the children in the cancer ward at the hospital, but I like the way it showcases the nice folks at the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Car buffs will enjoy this film, too.
The Newmans are a Catholic family, so you will see a few Catholic references such as Brycen holding a rosary. I love how faith-based movies always show someone walking in with a Chick-Fil-A bag! Brycen’s mom is hardly seen in the film at all, and even though Bryson has a girlfriend it’s not a romantic sort of movie. The story mainly focuses on Brycen, his dad, and the Hansons.
The credits are pretty lengthy at the end as there were a lot of extras involved in making the film. Funny thing is, they only used one short song that just played over and over again! It was Rachel Platten’s “Fight Song.” I’m sure some up-and-coming songwriter would have been happy to write a couple more songs for the movie! Maybe they figured most people don’t bother sitting all the way through the credits, ha.
MIRACLE AT MANCHESTER is a quality made-for-TV movie. Stream this inspirational true story exclusively on Pure Flix beginning April 1st! Learn more about the film and start your free trial.
Trailer
MIRACLE AT MANCHESTER is one of the focus films for Pure Flix this Easter, but it’s just one of many great movies on Pure Flix! We highly recommend signing up for Pure Flix, the premier streaming service for uplifting, family-friendly content. With an extensive library of movies, TV shows, documentaries, and original programming, Pure Flix offers something for everyone. From heartwarming stories like MIRACLE AT MANCHESTER to exciting action movies and inspiring Bible stories, Pure Flix has it all. Plus, they have a commitment to providing only family-friendly content that is rare nowadays. Additionally, Pure Flix offers a wide range of features, including the ability to stream on multiple devices. So why not sign up today and start enjoying the many benefits of Pure Flix? Stream the miracle of Easter now on Pure Flix!
Giveaway
One lucky winner will receive a 3-month subscription to Pure Flix! Enter by leaving a comment below. Comments are moderated so please be patient if you haven’t posted here before. The prize will be emailed directly from our sponsor, who will need your full name and email address by 4/10/23. (Note: This is limited to U.S. winners only, and only to those who have NOT won a subscription in the last six months.) Good luck!
Disclosure
Many thanks to Pure Flix for providing a sample of the product for this review. Opinions are 100% my own.
#MiracleAtManchesterMIN #MomentumInfluencerNetwork #PFEasterMIN #PureFlix #StreamClean #ChristianEntertainment
This looks like an interesting movie, perhaps a Christian, athletic version of the movie Clouds. It will definitely be on my watch list!
Congratulations, Betsy, you’ve won the Pure Flix Giveaway! Sometime soon, like in the next couple of weeks, you will receive an email with instructions on how to access your 3-month subscription!