Buddy becomes a Phenomenon
Buddy Hoyt (Eddie Cibrian - Northern Lights) maybe struggling to grow plants in his garden but the rest of his life isn't bad, he's just got engaged to Alice (Lisa Sheridan - A Christmas Eve Miracle) and is hopeful he will get a promotion to supervisor where he works. But that all changes when he has a fall from a roof and nearly dies only to recover to find he has gained the gift of healing hands to work miracles. Whilst Buddy wants to use his healing powers for good it soon makes him a curiosity as people want him to heal them whilst others call him a freak and the press are just as interested in proving him a fraud. And to add to his problems every time he heals it zaps him off his strength making him weaker and weaker.
"Working Miracles", which is also known as "Healing Hands", is one of those movies which for some will be a touching sweet drama whilst for others will be all too familiar. That comes down to it have a storyline which for me springs to mind John Travolta's "Phenomenon" as we see how Buddy's miraculous gift causes issues from the press trying to prove him a fake to others just wanting to know him because of what he can do for them. It works through this set up in a way which ticks the boxes, such as some of Buddy's friends thinking he is a freak, but it doesn't add anything new to the formula.
But as I said "Working Miracles" is a touching movie as we not only see how having healing hands affects Buddy, physcially draining him each time he uses his gift, but we also have a back story surrounding the man who has been a father to him having cancer. And it again ticks a lot of boxes but in truth doesn't bring anything new to this touching side of the movie. Although it benedits heavily from the right casting because who doesn't like Patrick Duffy when he plays father figures.
The trouble with "Working Miracles" is that during the set up it seems to go around in circles and combined with the familiar nature of the drama you get a sense that maybe the original story for the movie wasn't enough and so they had to fill it out with bits which weren't necessary. Not being necessary is a religious scene when Buddy is in hospital as sadly it is too heavy handed and is the sort of scene which makes those who are Christians seem over pious.
What this all boils down to is that "Working Miracles" doesn't quite work and whilst it has moments of natural drama seems to try too hard to make them greater with some unbelievable twists.
