Jennifer Garner talks ‘Miracles From Heaven,’ parenting, more
Actress Jennifer Garner attends a screening of "Miracles From Heaven," a faith-based film she says encouraged her to examine her own views. Credit: Getty Images / Jamie McCarthy
Jennifer Garner, a devoted mom both on- and off-screen, was recently in New York promoting her new movie, “Miracles From Heaven.”
Garner and her ex-husband, Ben Affleck, are parents to Violet, Seraphina and Samuel. The “Dallas Buyers Club” star portrays Christy Beam, whose daughter, Anna, lives with a rare, incurable digestive disorder. Despite the horrific diagnosis, Christy relentlessly searches for a way to save her child. After surviving an accident, Anna begins to show signs of recovery, stumping her family and doctors. This faith-based movie also stars Queen Latifah.
Garner, 43, recently attended a special Mamarazzi screening of “Miracles From Heaven” hosted by The Moms, “Good Housekeeping” and Arizona Iced Tea in Manhattan.
“I was so invested in the journey of the main character,” Garner said. “The miracle at the end actually wasn’t as important to me as the story about the mom advocating for her daughter. We all need advocates — we need people to make sure we are getting the best treatment possible. I feel like Christy did just that.”
Garner grew up in a religious family and said this film encouraged her to think more about her own faith and spirituality.
“I grew up going to church; it is very comfortable for me,” she said. “What I’m not so comfortable with is talking about it. This movie made me very aware that my parents have given me a gift because when I’ve gone through anything hard in my life, I’ve had a sense of something to fall back on. I just assumed that my kids would receive the same through osmosis because it’s so strong in my family. I felt like they would just get it. I realized I’m taking this for granted. As a parent, I need to take responsibility for engaging in this part of bringing my children up.”
What’s up next for Garner?
“We’re still filming ‘Tribes of Palos Verdes,’ where I play the worst mom in the world. You will want to leave your kids home for this one. It was a nice change to play this role. After we finish shooting, I’m all kids all the time through the end of school and summer,” she said.
