Mary Steenburgen, Harry Dean Stanton, Arthur Hill
Grab an econo-pack of tissues, gather your loved ones around a cozy television, and bring on the hot cocoa--it's time for a dose of Christmas spirit. The tender and charming Mary Steenburgen (Par...( read more
)) dons a sour disposition in her role as Ginny Grainger, a woman who finds little joy in life lately--let alone in the impending holiday season. Money is tight, her husband (beautifully downplayed by nice-guy Gary Basaraba) lost his job, and the family must move out of their house. Ginny cannot even bring herself to say, "Merry Christmas," despite her family's enthusiasm about the big day. With help from Ginny's brave and loving daughter (sweetly performed by Elisabeth Harnois) and a Christmas angel named Gideon (Harry Dean Stanton), Ginny undergoes a life-altering experience à la It's a Wonderful Life. The result? Happy endings, hugs and kisses, pass the tissues.
Not a light holiday entertainer by any means, the plot verges on depressing at times, as the family struggles through money issues and the tedium of daily suburban survival. While handled fairly subtly, some of the bridging story--including a shooting, a kidnapping, and a drowning--might prove disturbing to children under 6 years old. And really: if the somber Harry Dean Stanton (Paris, Texas) repeatedly appeared in your neighborhood, cloaked in a cowboy hat and overcoat, would you allow your kids outside? Still, a well-made favorite to cherish. --Liane Thomas
DVD Release Date: August 21, 2001
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Stats: 136 reviews
Flixster Reviews (136)
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July 7, 2007A depressing Christmas Tale about a family's loss during the season, and an Angel who can help them get through it. Not fun or magical!
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November 28, 2008Ginny Grainger (Mary Steenburgen) is the mother of 2 children, Abbie (Elisabeth Harnois) & Caleb (Robbie Magwood) with her Husband named Jack (Gary Basaraba) has been out of work since June. Abbie goes across the street to the mailbox to send a letter to Santa Claus for 1 night w...( read more)
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March 17, 2008Likely the first movie I ever saw in a theatre and one of my fondest memories and top five Christmas movies, until I watched it again this decade and decided I wasn't as in love with it as I thought. Still it is a lovely little story packaged in a box full of tragedy.
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November 26, 2007Harry Dean Stanton as the Guardian Angel - I wouldn't mind having him for mine.
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