A Dog Named Christmas

Great story that will engage the interest of all who love animals and hopefully change the views of those who are not animal lovers. As Anatole France said, "Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened." This movie demonstrates love for animals, family and is a great advocate for the learning disabled. This movie will help us all understand this quote from Mahatma Gandhi,"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." Hopefully it will encourage people to adopt from our overcrowded animal shelters and to participate in spay/neuter programs also. This movie will be added to the classic Christmas movies our family watches every Christmas.

The movie begins with a voice I believe to be George McCray narrating, following the adventures of a dog who won't stay in one place, but has to keep going until he finds the perfect home he was meant to have.

In the community of Crossing Trails, Kansas, George's farm has been in the family for many generations. His wife Mary Ann teaches at a local school. They have four children; all except 20-year-old Todd have grown up and moved out. Todd is disabled but seems very capable and responsible.

The local animal shelter wants people to adopt dogs just for the Christmas season, to give the shelter employees a break. Todd, who raised sheep for 4H, is very excited about the idea, but George doesn't want him to have a dog. He believes Todd will want to keep the dog after Christmas, which of course the shelter employees hope some people will do. George has had dogs, as we see in flashbacks, but for some reason he is very opposed to the idea of having another one. Perhaps it has something to do with what happened to Charlie, who was his canine companion for a time as he served in Vietnam.

George finally gives in and lets Todd have a dog, but he makes it clear the dog will be Todd's responsibility. Todd goes to the shelter and looks at many dogs before he finally finds THE ONE. Someone has trained this dog well; he responds to the usual commands. He has no name yet, so Todd names him Christmas and takes him home.

Todd's two brothers are married and celebrate Christmas with their wives' families, so the big family Christmas, which includes some friends who are not relatives, takes place several days early. Todd, his parents and his sister Hannah will have a smaller celebration on the big day. For the early event, the various families show up and have a good time before finally sitting down at the table in a real Norman Rockwell scene.

And what happens next is pretty amazing.

We all know how this movie will probably end, but it will be a lot of fun getting there, with all the twists and turns and doubts about whether it really will end the way we think.

Noel Fisher does a wonderful job. Todd has been taught to be responsible, and unlike most TV children, he really is. He's easy to like and everyone in the movie likes him. No one treats him as if he is disabled, and sometimes it seems as if he is not.

Bruce Greenwood is very good as a loving but stern father who wants his son to succeed and won't coddle him. George knows the value of hard work and what it takes to run a farm, and even though we see his injury in Vietnam still bothers him, it doesn't stop him from doing anything.

Many of the leading actors also do a very good job. That includes the dog, of course.

This is a movie the whole family can watch, as are most Hallmark Hall of Fame presentations. There are a couple of scenes that might bother younger children, one in Vietnam and one in the present day, but neither scene is that bad.

It's a wonderful holiday film.

Hallmark as done it again. This was a wonderful first Christmas movie for the 2009 year and I intend to purchase the DVD.

I turned off the lights, turned on the Christmas tree lights, and my wife, our two sons and I sat, caught up in this wonderful, heart-touching story.

Of course, the Hallmark commercials were an added touch.

Yes, I'm sentimental and go for these types of things...but I'm not ashamed.

The young man who played the young boy was so dead-on in his portrayal.

The mom and dad were spectacular in their portrayal as well.

Thank you Hallmark, for this wonderful presentation.

I thoroughly, enjoyed this movie. The actors/actresses did a wonderful job, in their characterization. It is just so nice, that Hallmark makes and shows family orientated movies, so that, any age group can watch.

I was especially, impressed with Todd the son, the father and mother. Neil Foster did an awesome acting job, as Todd, who is mentally challenged and his acting was totally believable. Bruce Greenwood was superb as the father. However, I must admit, I seem to always like Greenwood's films. Linda Emond was wonderful as the mother. She captured the right essence of motherhood, who has a child that is mentally challenged, protective, yet, does not coddle.

I could go on and on, about this wonderful, feel good movie ... However, I can only hope that, those who haven't seen it yet, give this movie a chance, by watching it. For those, who have seen it, I bet you watch it, almost every time it comes on. I know that, I do.

George McCray (Bruce Greenwood) is a farmer who had served in Vietnam and suffered a limp in one of his legs. He also had a couple of dogs. One as a kid-Tucker-and one during the war-Charlie. Having lost both, he's hesitant of letting his last-born adult offspring, Todd (Noel Fisher)-who's a little handicapped, have one permanently, making him promise to return this temporary holiday adoptee to the shelter after Christmas which becomes the dog's name. His wife, Mary Ann (Linda Emond), knows what he's been through and disagrees with him, though respectfully to the point of not pushing it. I'll stop there and just say this was quite heartwarming which is what you usually expect from a movie presented on "Hallmark Hall of Fame" but not cloyingly so. I mean, all those Christmas party scenes with the relatives and Todd's bonding with the animal and...well, if you don't mind feeling warm inside, this movie is definitely for you. But, yes, there are some compellingly dramatic scenes like those flashback ones of George back during the war or one on the farm later on in the movie. Nice use of Sarah McLachlan's "Angel" (which I just watched her perform on a "Dancing with the Stars" results show) and another song written and sung by leading man Greenwood himself near the end. And seeing the author, Greg Kincaid, with his own adopted dog Rudy in a spot asking for anyone who'd like to get a pet for the holidays was a touching plea. So on that note, I recommend A Dog Named Christmas.