'Miracles from Heaven' 1st film of 2016 with A+ grade from moviegoers

LOS ANGELES (Christian Examiner) – "Miracles from Heaven" opened at No. 2 Wednesday but did something even more impressive, becoming the first film of 2016 to garner an A+ CinemaScore grade from moviegoers.

To put that in perspective, the three films so far this year that have earned more than $100 million – "Deadpool," "Zootopia" and "Kung Fu Panda 3" – didn't receive such a high score, each grading at an A.

CinemaScore is similar to political exit polls, and asks viewers what they thought of a film after they watch it. An A+ score often is a good predictor of a solid box office run.

Starring Jennifer Garner, the faith-based "Miracles from Heaven" tells the true story of a Texas girl who suffered from an incurable chronic disease and was healed when she fell from a tree.

Playing in more than 3,000 theaters this weekend, it grossed $1.8 million Wednesday night.

Other faith films also have graded well this year in CinemaScore's rating. "Risen" and "The Young Messiah" each earned an A-.