Promised a Miracle

Promised a Miracle tells the story of Alice and Larry Parker, a married couple whose son Wesley is diabetic and depends on daily insulin. Members of a congregation whose preacher teaches that prayer can bring healing, the parents stop their son's medical treatment and place their trust in God instead. When the boy dies, the couple face criminal charges. The film is based on actual events from 1970, when the Parkers stood trial over their son's death, and draws on the account Larry Parker published in 1980.

Stephen Gyllenhaal directed this 1988 television drama, his first feature, made before Waterland, A Dangerous Woman and Losing Isaiah. The screenplay is by David Hill and John With, with Roni Weisberg producing for CBS and Republic Television. Rosanna Arquette plays Alice Elizabeth Parker, known as Lucky, and Judge Reinhold plays Larry Parker, while a young Giovanni Ribisi appears as Wesley. Tom Bower, Robin Pearson Rose and John Vickery round out the cast as Michael Elliot, Beth and Pastor Evans. Running 94 minutes, the film was broadcast on May 19, 1988. On IMDb it holds a rating of 6.2 out of 10 from 197 votes, a modest but steady response from viewers for a television production dealing with a family's religious convictions and their legal consequences.