Joie et réconfort

At times the plot slows down to the point of drudgery. The script is not the wittiest or not nearly the most clever by Forsythe standards. Yet, by the end of the film I felt I had seen a truly wonderful little movie--charming, elusive, touching, like the remembrance of a Christmas wish from childhood.

But, perhaps because we can all too well identify with the loss that Bill Patterson's character is trying to deal with (the best thing that could have happened to him, really) and his catharsis so delicately drawn, that the film is so satisfying. Many of my friends could not recognize its quality. Sad for them. There are great messages here, important ones, not the least of which, but perhaps the most sentimental, and (dare I say?) the true meaning of Christmas: to lose one's life is to find it.

Bravo, Mr. Forsythe, et al. Bravo, indeed. (Bill Patterson is gold!)

I was looking through movie titles with David O'Hara and found this title, then found the video in a second hand store.I was so glad to get my hands on this movie.

I loved that the plot line was NOT one of those "guy lost girl, guy does everything to get girl back" type of thing. What a breath of fresh air! It was a movie about a "real" person, the whole aspect of his life; his flaws, his character, his relationships with those around him and even his strengths.

This movie is a feel good movie no matter what the year it was made in, It's a good laugh as well. Hollywood should definitely take a look backward sometime and follow the example of this story line! If you want a good movie that even the kids could watch with you, this is the one!

Excellent movie - the only sad thing is that it's taken me so long to see it. Quite different from Gregory's Girl: it's probably not quite as charming but I think it's equally quirky and has a better storyline. Great acting as well, while managing to maintain that same freshness that we saw in Gregory's Girl.

This film's main plot ingredient is ice cream...but until it gets there (10 - 20 minutes in), it's surprisingly bland for a Bill Forsyth movie. Nevertheless, if you can make it through that beginning, you're in for a treat...maybe not on the order of a pint of Ben and Jerry's, but at least a fudgsicle from the corner mini-mart. It's also an unsung Christmas movie, good to check out if you're tired of seeing It's a Wonderful Life or A Christmas Story over and over. Cheerio, folks!

Anything Bill Forsyth does is worth collecting. You will like some movies more than others, but they're all gems - the antithesis of the Hollywood movie that has to come out of the screen and grab you, yank you. This is film making about people; this is a movie about the human spirit; there are elements of Fawlty Towers in here, the way certain plot elements gradually collide; viewers across the pond may feel bored, expecting something to 'happen' in the sense they are used to; but Forsyth is the best there is for the human soul.

See it - and collect it.