Christmas Miracle in Caufield, U.S.A.

Originally broadcast as "Christmas Miracle in Caufield, U. S. A." on Dec 26 1977, "The Christmas Coal Mine Miracle" is set in a small 1950 community (shooting on location in Roundup, Montana) owned by powerful miser Caufield (Don Porter), who refuses to assuage the fears of his workers by shutting down the mine for safety precautions. The climactic cave-in is saved for the final third, but until then it's occasionally a tough slog with thinly written characters. Despite her billing as 'Special Guest Appearance,' Melissa Gilbert of LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE is clearly the star, the most level headed person in the entire film, her elder sister Matilda (Karen Lamm) an insufferable brat eager to escape with long suffering boyfriend Johnny (Kurt Russell), who has been taking care of his late mother. The most surprising cast member is the venerable John Carradine, whose Grandpa Sullivan looks after the grandchildren, sets up the breakfast by stocking the stove, and chops down a tree to avoid Caufield's overpriced twigs. Though he rarely has much to say, Carradine affects a slight accent to add some local flavor, quietly lamenting that Matthew Sullivan (top billed Mitchell Ryan) is the only one of his four sons whose life has not yet been claimed by the unforgiving mine. It's definitely a pleasant change for the elderly actor, curiously billed for the first and only time in his lengthy career as 'John Carradine Sr.' (perhaps a nod to his own pride as family patriarch of the Carradine clan, surpassing the Barrymores in prolificity).

Melissa Gilbert is 11 year old Kelly Sullivan, daughter of Matthew Sullivan (Mitchell Ryan) who with Johnny (Kurt Russell), the sweetheart of Matthew's other daughter Matilda (Karen Lamm), and 50 other men is trapped in a cave-in at the Caulfied County mine because of a methane gas explosion. The mine is known to be unsafe by the owner (Don Porter) and manager Willie (Bill McKinney) but the men still entered it to work for the money.

Kelly opens the narrative in narration, and although she dresses in gingham and sews dolls to sell at the local store, she is also rebellious. For saying `dang virginity' she has to wash out her mouth with soap (literally!), she throws a rock at the window of the store believing she has been robbed, kicks shins, and plays a home made guitar. At times Gilbert's gestures seem mechanical but she has confidence and her long hair is attractive.

The teleplay by Dalene Young, `suggested by the history of mining disasters', doesn't provide a miracle. A lecture delivered on the importance of a union even delays the trapped men's efforts to dig their way out. The idea of the profit Kelly makes from her sale going towards a rocking horse for her crippled brother Timmy (Rossie Harris) - after she has given a little to a blind man - is too much like Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, and we get patronising rustic touches like Johnny throwing Matilda over his shoulder. Things aren't helped by director Jud Taylor's static staging, though he does cut from Kelly's mother Rachel (Barbara Babcock) telling her to help Timmy dress to Rachel helping Matthew undress for a nap.

Well there's a number of things I liked about this movie and a few major things I didn't. I'll talk about the things I didn't like first.

I flat out HATED that mother. Who I thought was so ugly and unpleasant. She was constantly ordering her better half (her 11 year old daughter) around, mistreating her, and keeping her from being a kid, at every chance she could get. And so I wanted to bitch slap her at every chance *I* could get.

In reality though the girl looks NOTHING like her movie mother. And the character who plays her "18 year old" sister looks a lot more like her mother... and even looks more like they could be sisters, who are practically the same age in real life. So some people were obviously miscast in this fairy tale.

Now the good things... Melissa Gilbert as Kelly!! The 11 year old, rebellious, bundle of joy who put up with so many bad people, including: her monster mother, her ungrateful sister, and unfair townspeople... and still managed to maintain her dignity. Her performance is the highlight of the movie and she is too cute in it.

We also get to see Kurt Russell as a young man who is brave & slick. And on the other end we see John Carradine as an OLD man, who you keep around in the family to watch him smoke his pipe and sometimes give you wise words. They are both great and interesting to see in their stages of life.

It was also interesting to see what life was like in a small, coal mining town in 1950. That is something I haven't seen before. One question kept arising though that was never answered... what state was it in???

My favourite scene is when Kelly breaks down a window of the store. Thats justified revenge. Haha. But a really stupid, uncomfortable scene is when the mother goes into her older daughters room to talk about sex.

So apart from every excruciating scene with that dreadful woman, the other elements of this film were rather good. But I insist, if she wasn't in this movie it would have been so much better.