Solstice

Solstice tells the story of Nick Allman, a disillusioned man trying to find meaning in his life and his lost Christmas spirit. Nick spends Christmas eve meeting and interacting with several different people from friends to complete strangers all of who help him to rediscover his faith in the holidays and in people

The cast and the characters they play are a huge part of why I love this film, they are all so authentic and likable and this really makes the film so much more enjoyable. Michael Kelly stars as Nick and he is both believable and extremely endearing. Mary McCloud plays Nicks former girlfriend Kristine who goes through her own journey of discovery throughout the film. Jay Lehrfeld and Bill Fogarty provide superb performances as Nicks friends, Jerry Morfesis gives an energetic performance as the Music Box emcee and Ramona Curtis rounds off the cast as a woman who gives Nick some much needed, wise advice when he needs it the most. It was filmed in Chicago and the locations used almost feel like characters themselves. From the beautiful St Alphonsus church to the magnificent Music Box theatre each location adds so much to the story and makes it feel very authentic. (The director recently released a restored definitive version of the film which had its premiere at the Music Box!)

Solstice was directed by Jerry Vasilatos and is his first feature (as well as several of the cast members first too) but it never feels like it due the extremely competent nature of the directing and the fantastic final product. Vasilatos also produced and wrote the screenplay and while it is wholly original the film does manage to channel inspiration from classics such as It's a Wonderful Life and Planes Trains and Automobiles which only serve to make it a better viewing experience.

The film was recently restored in 2K from its original camera negative elements for its 25th anniversary, vastly improving the picture and sound quality as well as including a brand-new orchestral score. The new score is masterful and really helps to convey the mood of the characters and their feelings, it really adds a new level of enjoyment to the film.

As a fan of low budget, independent films I would highly recommend this to anyone who is looking for an emotional, realistic character study with lots of heart and Christmas spirit. I first saw this film in 2007 and I have watched it every Christmas without fail since then. The film has recently been made available on DVD, Blu-Ray (with loads of behind the scenes and other bonus material) and as of today it is also available on A mazo n Prime.

This is one of my favorite holiday films mainly because its magic is found in reality.. And the reality being pretty gloomy and straight forward... Which is basically the main character in this film. You don't have have Santa Claus.. No elves.. No talking snowman.. But you have Chicago in the winter.. You have this man's life during the holidays and how negatively meaningful it is to him.. And certain events wake him up.. And that is the true magic of Christmas.. Very well acted and directed.. Cast and crew did an amazing job indeed and it's quite simple in that sense that you find that magic right in front of you no matter how bad things can be.. And watching this film really shows that. I love it. What can I say. 10 out of ten .

As a fan of holiday movies, many run the gambit of being corny, and the exceptional ones rise above that by doing something original with the material.

This movie doesn't have a conventional "happy" ending, but it does have a hopeful one, and in that, I commend the filmmakers for having the guts to present a story that is slowly paced and realistic in tone.

I imagine many viewers can relate to this story in how its lead character deals with isolation during the holidays, without leaning on a religious message... although part of the ending takes place in a church, it has more to do with having faith in others and what's around us then putting all expectations in "God's hands".

I also like the director's use of Chicago's north side neighborhoods... I discovered "Night Before Christmas" after having seen his other movie "The Dark Knight Project", which also made great use of Chicago's downtown locations. As a native of Chicago myself, it's cool seeing parts of the city so well reflected in motion pictures shot here.

Merry Christmas Nitestar Productions! And to all a good night...

This film has been a annual holiday favorite in my home since I first watched it when it aired on Lifetime channel in the mid 90s. Director Jerry Vasilatos does a fine job with this character study of a disillusioned and lonely young man named Nick searching for himself on Christmas Eve. I like how the film strays away from the usual clichés and instead examines how small moments that seem insignificant can really make difference in our lives. Mike Kelley finds the right moments of uncertainty and boyish charm as Nick and Mary Margaret McCloud is also good as his former girlfriend Kristine who is doing some soul searching of her own on this Christmas Eve. Kelley and McCloud have good chemistry together and their scenes are effective and touching. With the constant commercialization of Christmas and increasing expectations of the holiday, it's nice to see film that examines its characters without histrionics or false sentimentality. Like Nick, many people approach Christmas with disappointment or loneliness and the film is an important affirmation to look within ourselves and appreciate the small gestures of kindness we can share to better those around us and most importantly, ourselves. For that reason, I watch this film every year on Christmas Day.

Good Christmas holiday watching, if you are a fan of low budget, independent movies. This movie was apparently the first movie most of the cast and crew ever worked on, and I think they did a splendid job for newcomers to the art of filmmaking.

There are definitely nods to "It's a Wonderful Life", a Hollywood movie made for nearly $4 million in the post-WWII era. Doesn't seem like a huge budget now, but it was the biggest budget at the time.

I've read that Stanley Kubrick would take one shot several dozen times. He had the budget, why not go for perfection? A small, indy film like this probably had more like a 4:1, 5:1 shooting ratio. Basically, everyone had to be at their best, and all together. On a shooting ratio like that, the best performance does not necessarily match up with the best shot, the best sound quality or the best directing.

I think everyone involved in the making of this movie did a great job, considering working in the trenches of low budget filmmaking, first-time filmmaking, etc. The result was a sweet and honest look at the symbiotic relationship between isolation and hope, at a time of year that brings forth the conflicting emotions of joy and despair.

It's sad to see slower paced and meaningful Christmas fare (like 'A Charlie Brown's Christmas') go to the wayside in favor of fast-fast-fast paced, corporate synthetic music, more-more-more glut that passes for art today. 'Solstice/The Night Before Christmas' is a return to that purity for me.