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Christmas Eve

  • TV Movie
  • 1986
  • 1h 33m
IMDb RATING
7.3/10
500
YOUR RATING
Trevor Howard and Loretta Young in Christmas Eve (1986)
Drama

A well-to-do elderly woman who befriends the homeless and volunteers her time with children learns that she has an incurable illness. She desperately wants to reunited her three grown grandc... Read allA well-to-do elderly woman who befriends the homeless and volunteers her time with children learns that she has an incurable illness. She desperately wants to reunited her three grown grandchildren, now scattered across the U.S. living their own lives, with their estranged father... Read allA well-to-do elderly woman who befriends the homeless and volunteers her time with children learns that she has an incurable illness. She desperately wants to reunited her three grown grandchildren, now scattered across the U.S. living their own lives, with their estranged father, her son. She hires a private detective to search for them to try to get everyone togethe... Read all

  • Director
    • Stuart Cooper
  • Writers
    • Blanche Hanalis
    • Laurence Stallings
    • Richard H. Landau
  • Stars
    • Loretta Young
    • Arthur Hill
    • Ron Leibman
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.3/10
    500
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Stuart Cooper
    • Writers
      • Blanche Hanalis
      • Laurence Stallings
      • Richard H. Landau
    • Stars
      • Loretta Young
      • Arthur Hill
      • Ron Leibman
    • 15User reviews
    • 2Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 3 nominations total

    Photos

    Top cast29

    Edit
    Loretta Young
    Loretta Young
    • Amanda Kingsley
    Arthur Hill
    Arthur Hill
    • Andrew Kingsley
    Ron Leibman
    Ron Leibman
    • Morris Huffner
    Trevor Howard
    Trevor Howard
    • Maitland
    Patrick Cassidy
    Patrick Cassidy
    • Josh Kingsley
    Charles Frank
    Charles Frank
    • Jamison
    Season Hubley
    Season Hubley
    • Melissa
    Kate Reid
    Kate Reid
    • Molly Gottchalk
    Deborah Richter
    Deborah Richter
    • Patti
    • (as Debi Richter)
    Allan Royal
    Allan Royal
    • Grodin
    Lisa Vidal
    Lisa Vidal
    • Maria
    Wayne Best
    Wayne Best
    • Harley
    Bernard Behrens
    Bernard Behrens
    • Dean
    Antony Parr
    • Professor
    Amanda Hancox
    • Nora
    Cec Linder
    Cec Linder
    • Dr. Greenspan
    Philip Akin
    • Mays
    Tommy Earlls
    • George
    • Director
      • Stuart Cooper
    • Writers
      • Blanche Hanalis
      • Laurence Stallings
      • Richard H. Landau
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews15

    7.3500
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    Featured reviews

    9dbiggins

    Loretta Young at her finest.

    A heart warming story line that most can relate to. Loretta Young brings her strength, intelligence and charm to this role. My regret is that I can't find this film on VHS to add to my collection. I would love to be able to enjoy it over and over and over again.
    9lamonte1

    Great Story

    This is one of the best Christmas Movies ever and I am saddened but it hasn't been aired at least in my area of the country for some years. Very heartwarming and thought provoking. Does anyone know where I can get a copy? Stan
    10bfarowl

    Excellent holiday movie that deserves to be on DVD

    This is my favorite Christmas movie of all time and I am very disappointed I cannot find it on DVD. I do have it on video, but it is lacking the fade in and out to drawings at the beginning of a segment and at the end of a segment. Loretta Young is superb as the matriarch who will not stop giving to those that are in need. This includes cats/kittens. Ron Leibman is excellent as the private investigator who will stop at nothing to find her grandchildren. He is as stubborn in locating them as she is determined that they will show up for Christmas. This is a movie recommended for everyone. It will become your favorite too.
    10JLRMovieReviews

    Loretta Young Still Beautiful and as Great as Ever

    Rich widow Loretta Young has learned she's dying and that it's only a matter of time. She wants to see her grown-up grandchildren, despite the fact that her son and them don't get along. Her son Arthur Hill is very selfish and mercenary, and is rather a cold fish when it comes to emotions. He lives and breathes money, status and more, more, and more. When Loretta wants to change her will, he's outraged. He says father wouldn't like it, but really that's just something to say. He isn't going to have it and his only recourse is to accuse her of not being of sound mind. That's a nice way to put it. By the way, another thing he doesn't like is her giving money to bums, cash, in person -not deductible. Meanwhile, she hired a p.i. to find her grandchildren, but it seems the wounds are too deep for them to consider coming home, even to see their grandmother. They are not told she is dying. This very fulfilling Christmastime TV-movie features one of Hollywood's most gracious, special, and beautiful actresses, Loretta Young; in fact I think she is even more beautiful here than in her earlier years and that's saying something. She adds much elegance to this rather predictable movie, but the performances by all actors are so genuine that we don't feel a false note or emotion from this tale. It all comes together very realistically and this has to be one of the best Christmas movies ever shown on TV. Maybe even better than The Gathering Part I. If you love Christmas movies and you love Loretta Young, you must find this right away. Unfortunately, that will be hard, since it hasn't been on TV since the late 1990s. I taped it then and that is why I have a copy now. I am hoping someday some way others will discover and enjoy this treasure!
    10dfortier5

    The Best Christmas Movie Ever!

    Loretta Young plays Amanda Kingsley, who is a rags to riches older widow. Even though Amanda is very wealthy and eccentric, she never forgot the poor people of the world. She is a lady who is very classy, and very charitable. Amanda spends her nights giving out food and cash to homeless people, along with her loyal English butler, Maitland.

    Amanda finds out she has an aneurysm and will die soon, but she keeps it a secret from her son Andrew. She only tells Maitland who is always by her side. Because the end is near Amanda sets out to hire a down-and-out private investigator, Morris Huffner and pays him a large amount in cash for him to find her three estranged grandchildren. They left home many years ago because they were at odds with their father, Amanda's unemotional, straight-laced, business man son, Andrew.

    Andrew is constantly at odds with his mother too and he especially doesn't like the way Amanda spends her money. When Amanda changes her will to ensure her son only gets 49% of the family business stocks, Andrew tries to declare her incompetent.

    P.I. Morris Huffner doesn't have much to go on to find Harley, Melissa and Josh. But knowing he gets a bonus for every grandchild he finds before Christmas motivates him. He doesn't realize how emotionally attached he will become to this family and how much this case will change his life.

    Will Morris find the grandchildren, who don't want to be found, before Christmas? If they are found, will the grandchildren be willing to come back home and face their father? Will Amanda be found incompetent by the courts? Will Amanda die before Christmas? Why is Andrew such a hard person when his mother is so kind? Will Andrew finally see the light?

    The way the conclusion is played out makes everyone in my family either cry or get choked up. We know the ending. We've watched it every year for nearly 20 years, but it never fails to make us emotional! This movie is worth watching, if only for the ending that hits you hard emotionally. A real tear jerker! Every year Christmas Eve never fails to put us in the Christmas spirit! This is the best Christmas movie ever!

    More like this

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Loretta Young was only 9 years older than Arthur Hill, who played her son.
    • Quotes

      Morris Huffner: Oh my! I, uh, I was brought up in a home.

      Amanda Kingsley: You were?

      Morris Huffner: Yeah. They call them orphanages now.

      Amanda Kingsley: Oh, yes.

      Morris Huffner: I used to sit around and try to imagine what a real Christmas would be like... .this is it.

      Amanda Kingsley: That's a lovely thing to say!

    • Connections
      Remake of Christmas Eve (1947)

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 22, 1986 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Frohe Weihnachten, Mrs. Kingsley
    • Filming locations
      • Toronto, Ontario, Canada
    • Production companies
      • Michael Filerman Productions
      • Republic Television
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 33 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

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