This movie does give you a few tears, but it doesn't mean it's a Christian film. Hollywood doesn't line up the scripture well in this movie; this is why this movies unrealistic. In the book of Revelation John has dreams about Heaven. God (Jesus) will be sitting down, and the Lion and the Lamb will be with each other. His voice will be like many waters, His feet will be like fine brass, and the Bible says that when your there you'll firstly see Him, and there'll be constant laughter. And He'll look so beautiful that He'll never be able to be described in this sinful World. And the movie Heaven is For real they try to show what Heaven looks like, and when he went there, there was nothing... No laughing, just a Church with a Rainbow in the sky with a bunch of grass. And he doesn't see Jesus for a while, the kid didn't seem to be happy but confused. Plus in the movie, they make it seem like everybody will go to Heaven, and try to describe Jesus. No voice of many waters, no feet as nice as brass. And at the end the boy thinks he sees a picture of Jesus that's kind of handsome, and says it's Him. And just saying, in Heaven, Jesus will have a appearance that cant be exactly described until we see Him.
Now to conclude about this movie... This is what I'm going to say... Full of Biblical inaccuracies.
BassetHound.
Full of Biblical inaccuracies because it's not true. The film is supposed to be based on a real story but who here buys that? Asides from it being based on an anecdotal claim, it is, also, as you said, not Biblical and I got that just by reading a summary of the book. Apparently there's no medical evidence that the boy was clinically dead during the surgery either.
Putting that aside and I think from a spiritual standpoint, heaven would not be a physical place. Nearly all religions say that the place is not physical. When you think about it, if God is not physical then why would the place where God dwells be physical?
As for The Bible and Revelations, well that's all metaphorical IMO. I don't believe in this concept of a kingdom with lions and lamb sitting next to one another and God physically sitting on some throne because again, that's physical. I think John was shown these things so he could make a image of what heaven feels like and nothing says peace more than the concept of a lion (a hunter) sitting in peace with a lamb (often a prey to many other animals).
I wouldnt go as far as to say that it is not a Christian film. The concept of a child going to heaven and seeing Jesus is quite impossible to depict on screen. The movie makers obviously just did the best job that they could to show what heaven could be like. But the morals are there; the father in the movie is a great man who preaches and shares the gospel with the church and others around him. Although it wasn't necessarily the best depiction of heaven or the most accurate movie biblically, I would rather have this movie out there than have nobody making any Christian movies.
Interesting thoughts though, good topic for conversation :)