A Grandpa for Christmas

I was very impressed with the overall quality of the acting and plot lines. I found Ernest Borgnine to be quite a lovable character. I believe that Juliette has a tremendous future in not only acting but especially as a singer. I look forward to her debut album. I had a fun time recognizing many of the players in this drams without looking at their names first. The plot line is very well done and believable. I look forward to seeing this show as a holiday tradition. It leaves room for a sequel as well to show how things progress. I am 58 years old but this movie had me crying and teary eyed at the ending. I also enjoyed Katherine Helmond in her role of Roxie. She played it as if it was her own persona. Thanks for a great production. The plot revolves around a retired thespian who has lost touch with his daughter until an untimely accident causes him to find out he has a granddaughter he never knew about. He ends up having to take care of this granddaughter since he is the only living relative. The changing of this relationship from a have to situation to a very loving one makes for a great story. Ron Tuell Sr

This Christmas time movie is one of the BEST! Out of the over 80 holiday movies I've seen, this is in my top 4. I am so glad to see other viewer's comments on this 2007 released movie. Kudos to this entire cast. I've now seen it twice and each time I like it even more and shed a few more tears. Ernest Borgnine, I didn't know how old he was. It doesn't matter. You are just in love with his character and the beauty and warmth of such an individual. What a beautiful spirit and a life lesson. Even though he didn't have his daughter or granddaughter in his life, he was still a joyous, positive, loving person. He did the best he could with his life and his friends speak volumes for his character. And in the end it pays off. But I love the theme of "no regrets". He lives beyond the hurt, beyond the loss. This is probably my favorite Christmas time movie. And, again, the casting was PERFECT!!!

I didn't know exactly what to expect when I sat down to watch this, and I was pleasantly surprised. While this does not hold an awful lot of surprises, it not only has its heart in the right place, but it respects that delicate balance, and remains sweet, never growing sappy. This is one of the precious few films that are entirely inoffensive without going too far in the other direction and becoming irritating. The plot is interesting enough, and it doesn't lose your interest. This is well-paced. The characters are nicely developed, and there aren't any that only have negative sides(with one possible exception). Production isn't half bad. Without being a tragic tale, this does stay close to reality, and really comes across largely genuine(albeit one or two occurrences strain credulity somewhat). The acting is decent enough. Borgnine is great, and the kid is fine. This should get laughs out of most viewers, with its solid mix of silly jokes and a dry wit. The singing is quite enjoyable. This promotes wholesome morals without seeming preachy. I recommend it to everyone who watches Christmas movies. 7/10

I have always been an Ernest Borgnine fan going back to my childhood and the Mchale's Navy days. I have seen the comments on this being a sappy movie. This may be true but for those of us that enjoy clean old fashion movies this one gets an A+. The actors are outstanding and the theme is applicable to today's world. If you are looking for sex, violence, and vulgar language this movie is not for you. This would make especially good viewing if your family has experienced any estranged relationships. The movie is appropriate for any age and will be especially appreciated by older adults. It definitely deserved the Golden Globe nomination.

Saccharine TV movie has a bristly old coot (Borgnine) taking in his young granddaughter whom he never knew existed. Her mother -- his estranged daughter -- has had a car accident and been hospitalized. Tracy Nelsomn has the thankless role of the daughter, who spends most of the movie laid up in a hospital bed. The granddaughter quickly grows on the old man. There's more to the plot, which centers on the granddaughter singing in her school's holiday pageant, but it's not the plot that counts here. It's Borgnine's bravura performance, ably aided by a supporting cast of veterans including Jamie Farr, Richard Libertini and Katherine Helmond. Juliette Goglia is the winsome granddaughter who belts out several tunes like she's doing a road show tour of ANNIE. A little of this goes a long way, if you get my drift.