I've always been curious about this film as the underlying story is somewhat similar to a short story that I had written years ago...
The novel that this film is based upon (written by Alice Sebold) was a huge success and I'm not so sure that this film was a worthy adaptation for those who loved and enjoyed the book.
Peter Jackson directed this film and this may have been partly to blame for what I felt was an inability to connect with, not only the characters, but the story in general. Jackson is renowned for his Lord of the Rings trilogy and he probably relied a bit too much on CGI and his representation of what the afterlife and heaven looks like rather than spending more time and focus on the characters themselves...
I never connected with this film.
Newcomer Saoirse Ronan was refreshing as the girl Susie Salmon.
Interesting bit of trivia... Mark Wahlberg played the father, Jack Salmon. However, he was not the original actor cast. This role was originally intended for Ryan Gosling. When Gosling showed up on set three days prior to the beginning of shooting (having gained 60 pounds as he saw the character of Jack Salmon as 210 lbs.), Jackson didn't like Gosling's physical interpretation, fired him, and replaced him with Wahlberg...
One of the original marketing posters is seen below.
