Les Lumières de Noël

7.9 stars.

It's a fairy tale. A family of five loses a mother. A family of four loses a father. The two families meet while in the throes of grief and loss. And like a fairytale Brady Bunch story formed in the midst of a church setting, where she works at the Christian school and his profession is... not sure what he does actually...it provides reassurance that luck (miracles) can penetrate a gloomy existence.

As their families grow closer, all the people around them start to fear the worst. Those dumb people -"friends" and family begin to interfere with what appears to be a wondrous and beautiful miracle of a relationship, where two grieving families begin to mend.

In so many ways, this could happen, in many more ways it is unlikely. Much about this beautiful story just doesn't match reality. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed this film. Like I said, it's a real life fairytale. Enjoy it for what it represents, and the potential happy ending it offers those in a similar situation: two charismatic and gorgeous widows with no flaws and five perfectly adjusted children...

Lacey Chabert is obviously a star and talented actress. She is able to capture the screen without sucking the attention from the other actors - instead she makes them better. She comes across very real. She shines. She is good.

I wish they'd air it more. Watching it tonight - haven't seen it for a couple of years. It's a good family movie. It studies how people can help each other in sad circumstances. How kiss can help each other heal. The camaraderie...

In circumstances that involve death, people come together and find some peace - while still remembering the ones gone.

Such a touching movie...

I loved the movie.

Having dealt with loss in my life also it was a nice story with a good ending. I did not realize it was based on a true story until the end. The family was from Michigan also.

I love Lacy Chabert she does a great job no disappointment. This was the first movie I have seen Warren Christie in I thought he did a great job also. The ones who played the children did great too.

To the naysayers here who complain about "all that's going on" is two families falling in love, and others who complain about predictability -- have you never watched Hallmark movie????? Seriously????????????

Falling in love, trials & tribulations, and some predictability is VERY much "Hallmark movie" ... hallmarks. :-) The best of the Hallmark movies add more. I feel this one did.

As my title says, I think this was/is a very sweet story that actually felt very "real" in its events, acting, settings, and character interactions. There were some bittersweet moments brought on by well-intentioned friends and a mother-in-law, but that, too, is very realistic. I've seen Lacey Chabert in more than a few Hallmark movies, and I won't say all of them were great ... but this one is. This one gives me hope, though my wife and I are long-past the ages of the two main characters, but this movie still gives me hope that my wife could find love again after my death, and that I might, in the event of her passing -- no, this movie didn't leave me feeling morbid, and neither my wife or I are ill ... but still. The movie gives me hope.

The songs that make up the soundtrack are a bit loud at times, but I never noticed a problem with "background" noice, and didn't mind the music when I noticed it. I want to track down several songs to add them to a play list, particularly the song at the end.

This movie's story was made even better by being based on a real family's experiences, who did go through these events, made it through to the other side, and stayed together. (FYI, at the start of the movie, a statement is shown about this being based on a true story.)

Soooooooo ... watch it, if you like Hallmark movies. I do, and I liked this one.