Comfort and Joy

Review Date 2/6/2018

PLEASE BEWARE OF SOME REVIEWERS THAT ONLY HAVE ONLY ONE REVIEW. I HAVE OVER 400 REVIEWS OF "CHRISTMAS RELATED FILMS & SPECIALS" WHEN ITS A POSITIVE THERE IS A GOOD CHANCE THEY WERE INVOLVED WITH THE PRODUCTION. NOW I HAVE NO AGENDA! I REVIEW MOVIES & SPECIALS AS A WAY TO KEEP TRACK OF WHAT I HAVE SEEN! I HAVE DISCOVERED MANY GEMS IN MY QUEST TO SEE AS MANY " C H R I S T M A S " MOVIES AS I CAN.

Now Someone keeps reporting my reviews. I guess they are jealous because I do tell the truth. I want to point out that I never make snide remarks about actors weight or real life sexual orientation. If there acting is terrible or limited "I talk about that". If a story is bad "I will mention that" So why am I being "picked on"? IMDB? When one of my reviews gets deleted IMDB will not even tell me what someone found offensive. Well on to this review.

Comfort and Joy is a TV movie directed by Maggie Greenwald, originally airing on the Lifetime cable network in 2003. It starred Nancy McKeon as Jane Berry. The life of Jane Berry was all materialist, until one Christmas Eve, she is involved in a car accident that changes her life forever. She wakes up to discover she is the mother of two, a wife and that her only job is in the house, besides her frequent volunteer work

This is so well made and just a huge delight to watch. It delivers on what is promised and has enough twist on a familiar premise that the film will hold your interest. In fact once you see it "You might want to see it again"

. . . Of The Family Man, in which Nicholas Cage plays a similar part. But this update is engaging, fun and less serious.

A young career-minded woman has an accident and wakes up married with 2 children and a husband who works in a homeless shelter and drug rehab center. She is aghast to find that out because she is a "scrooge" type of person. Sounds familiar? One might call this a preview of an alternative life style. This easily reminds us of a great movie in the past, "It is A Wonderful Life" with James Stewart. It is actually rather nice to be able to see what your life will be like in 10 years. The trouble is that you might not be able to change anything even knowing what is coming. She could have been married to a gangster or a murderer. The acting is quite light weight. Nancy McKeon seems to be going through the motion. She treats her drastic change as if she found herself wearing a different outfit and wondering how it happens. The husband is unconvincingly nonchalant as is the 'doctor'. Post traumatic amnesia requires at least a hospital visit. However there is a small bright spot in this other lackluster movie; it is Dixie Carter as the insufferable mother with a Southern accent. One must not forget that this is a fantasy, one in which explanations are unnecessary about details like why Jane has not aged in 10 years. The movie is a minor variation on the same age-old theme. Do accept the imperfections and enjoy this little bonbon; it is, after all, Christmas.

Jane (Nancy McKeon) has it all or so she thinks. She is a high-powered executive who drives a jag, has an equally well-connected boyfriend, and a wardrobe to die for. Her best friend is a working mother and they meet at the gym to discuss life's issues. Her friend advises her to consider the "whole package" of career and family and to try to find more suitable husband material than her present boyfriend. Jane laughs. However, on the way to a party on Christmas Eve, her car spins out of control and, when the 360 revolutions stop, she finds herself in a new life. She has a handsome and caring husband, two beautiful children, a station wagon and a closet-full of reasonably-priced clothing. Aghast, Jane runs to her old apartment, only to find it occupied by someone else. Having nowhere to go, she reluctantly goes back to her new family's home and tries to sort things out. Her acquired relatives go to church, help out at homeless shelters, and go ice skating. Can Jane learn to appreciate her new roles? This is a lovely movie for families to watch on any given evening, not just at holiday time. It has some good performances, good production values and great messages. How many of us get to "try out" a new path in life and discover the possibilities we may have missed? None of us do, except in a fine movie such as this one. Do you love movies that foster family values in a clean, fun way? Get yourself a copy of this one without delay.

I don't know what the previous reviewer's eggnog was spiked with! I liked this little holiday offering with the underrated Nancy McKeon in the Jimmy Stewart role of this "it's A Wonderful Life" clone. But, hey, all the TV movies this time of year are versions of the great original, aren't they? I'm watching right now, so maybe the whole thing will get derailed later in the plot. Hope not. Different takes on Dicken's original "original" are always welcome and sure beat another Abflex infomercial! Oh, and that reviewer's line about the scenes with her parents? The fabulous Paul Dooley -- none other than Wimby from "Popeye" -- is always a joy to watch and is an understated delight here. Dixie Carter as the Mom is, well, Dixie Carter. I guess there are Grinches, even among anonymous reviewers. For the rest of you, enjoy! And that's the splendid Lou Rawls singing the Christmas Song during the crash scene. Very inventive!