Heaven (n). a place of great beauty, pleasure, and perfect rest, attained by the good after death; a state of happiness. Webster’s dictionary attempts to define heaven. The Bible attempts to define heaven. Mitch Albom attempts to define heaven. According to him, heaven contains a series of stages. The first of these stages requires each person to meet a few people whose lives they affected. Five people to be exact. But Albom is no theology expert or scientist. He is the best selling author of The Five People You Meet in Heaven, a book that soared into a Hallmark television movie and recently aired on ABC.

Albom allows one to ponder the endless possibilities of heaven through the experiences of the maintenance man Eddie. Eddie’s afterlife story begins on the pathway to heaven, a vibrant array of changing colors that does not appear in the television production. However, carousels and freak shows dazzle brilliantly to compensate. The intricate plot maintains its momentum through flashbacks that called for exceptional makeup artists and hairstylists. They successfully made actors appear convincingly older and younger as needed to portray Eddie’s story. Overall, the picture enhances Albom’s visions and provides an interpretation of the physical mysteries that lie beyond death.

While Hallmark packed the film with surprises, Albom packed the book full of excellent one-liners that the actors delivered with charisma. This showcases the amount of wisdom one apparently gains in heaven and proves that the story did not lose its spunk in the transition to a film. In fact, some interesting touches appear in the movie. For example, after a carnival ride breaks down and sparks fly into the air, the camera pans out and the sparks become birthday candles. Unfortunately, Hallmark omitted several key scenes to squeeze the events into a two hour television slot. In writing, Eddie’s death essentially results from a teenage boy carelessly slipping a car key into his pocket, while the film deprives viewers of this intriguing piece of information.

It seems like the movie would be the shortest way to learn about The Five People You Meet in Heaven. However, since readers may struggle to put down the novel, two hours is not an unrealistic time frame for completion. The numerous flashbacks make it a quick read that perpetually tempts folks to turn the page. In the same way, the film does not leave a moment for a bathroom break. “What brought you to heaven? What killed you?” Eddie asks his first person, who happens to be the color blue. “You did,” replies the blue man. Wait, how did that happen? The scene fades out and viewers learn that “Mitch Albom’s movie will be right back after these messages.” And so the story goes, successfully holding viewers in suspense throughout every commercial break.

Meanwhile, a piece of this whole The Five People You Meet in Heaven concept has the potential to disturb readers. During the first few chapters, it may be hard to put one’s finger on. But after analyzing the events of this bizarre fairy-tale, the lurking concept surfaces as death. The ideas presented in Albom’s story induce one’s thoughts of death and one’s place in the universe. Such a theme can be depressing to contemplate, not to mention the eeriness of picturing heaven’s scenery exactly like Earth’s. If on the prowl for a juicy piece of literature full of sparkling visions of a cloud-filled heaven, do not reach for this bestseller. Readers and viewers beware. These five people to meet in heaven have five mysterious stories to share with any new arrival to the pearly gates. Yet this journey to other worlds will unravel itself for anyone brave enough to pick up the novel and listen. But save some time. Read the five key message sentences from the book, and if forced to watch the movie, avert your eyes.