Una magia di Natale

I loved "If You Believe!" It was a refreshing look at the Christmas story. Ally was wonderful as was her 7 yr old counterpart Hayden... They made the concepts of faith, hope and joy of the season come alive. Ally shows her versatility as an actress in her character's transition from hopeless to joyful.

Susan, a book editor, has just been through a bitter divorce. Her work is suffering and her boss gives her a new client with some misgivings. More importantly, Susan has turned into a jaded soul who has alienated herself even from her immediate family in recent months. When she slips on the ice near Christmas, her "inner child" magically appears and becomes her constant companion. But, can the Susan-that-once-was make any changes in the life of Susan today?

This darling and heartwarming movie has so much to give to viewers. Ally Walker displays a wide range of emotions as the adult Susan while Hayden Panettiere, as the young Susan, is winning and joyful without a touch of hamminess. Tom Amandes shows up as the perfect potential love interest. Don't wait until the holidays to seek out this gem. Spread the glow of this film with your family tonight.

I have only seen this movie once but was extremely touched by it. The original concept of having a character's past self being able to relate to the present self is terrific. I enjoyed all performances, but I have to say that Hayden Panettiere left a lasting impression. The movie comes to a satisfactory conclusion, leaving a "what-if-I..." flavour with the viewer. Using the Suzie character as part of the rest of the family created a more believable scenario than simply presenting her "as is". I wondered if we would recognize ourselves as children if in the same situation. I tended to think it would be impossible not to - but then again, having seen lots of photos of family and friends as children, I realize it might be possible to see a similarity without instantly identifying oneself in another. This turned out to be a gentle and satisfying little Christmas movie which left room for thought when it was over.

Although this is a familiar modernization of the Scrooge story, what really raises it far above the typical TV fare is Ally Walker's frequently touching performance. Her emotional range is proving to be quite broad and her performances are getting steadily better. Not to mention that she's among the loveliest of actresses.

I watched this movie by accident while flipping -- it caught me and wouldn't let go. Thought I knew in advance what was going to happen, but the plot twists kept me glued. I cried through most of the second half of it. Hayden Panettiere as the young version of the adult is terrific ... a female Jonathan Taylor Thomas sort of wiseass. 9/10