The Christmas Gift

Living just down the Hwy from Georgetown, Co...I remember this movie well and thought it was great! The story seems like something John would do even in real life, but there is something that I will always remember most about the movie. For those of you who don't live in Denver...every Christmas, the city of Denver, Co puts up a fabulous display of lights and decorations at the Civic Center in downtown Denver. Well...as it so happened, during the filming of this movie, a Nativity scene was needed. So...it was borrowed from the Civic Center display...with permission, by the way! Someone had forgotten to advice the powers that be, and it was reported stolen! A frantic search began with law enforcement for a few days. Finally, someone spoke up and remembered loaning it to the film crew in Georgetown! It was returned and put back where it belonged! As it turns out...it wasn't featured all that much in the movie...you can barely see it during the Christmas show with the children. It did create quit a disturbance though...

Beautifully done! This movie is one for your Christmas collection. I had never forgotten this movie over the years. When I found it was available on DVD I had to buy it. Me and my grandson watch it together 3-4 time each Christmas Season. It's one of the most charming Christmas movies I've ever seen. It teaches us what Christmas is really all about... friends, family, and coming together to help a neighbor if need be! Plus this little town has a little light hearted mystique too, including Santa Claus! It is absolutely a must see film for the whole family.

George (John Denver) is an architect who works for a very successful developer. A widower, he has a darling daughter, Alex (Gennie Jemes) and both of them are still grieving for their wife and mother, respectfully. So, perhaps a change of scenery would do them both good. Therefore, when George's boss wants him to travel to the small, mountainside village of Georgetown, Colorado, they both go. Its the big boss' idea to buy a foreclosed ranch and begin to develop a ski resort. Yet, when George gets to the place, meets the town folk, and studies the area, the widower realizes the venue would be spoiled by development. He tries to tell his boss this but, the man is more determined than ever to make "his" resort a go. With the help of a lovely postal mistress, Susan (Jane Kaczmarek), can they find away to keep the lovely town as it is? Christmas is the time for miracles, no? This lovely film from the eighties is still a winner for the season. Denver does a nice job and James is just a doll as the daughter. All other cast members, script, and fine direction are very well conceived. Especially fine is the scenery, which is magnificent and was shot in the actual village of Georgetown. No one really gets tired of Xmas films, no matter what time of year, so give you and your family a big gift and find it today.

The GREAT NEWS is that this film is now AVAILABLE on DVD from http://treasureflix.com for all those who wish to own it as well as on video.This is good news as it is one of my favourite films!

I watched this film for the first time in the 80s and it is compulsory holiday viewing. Living in the small market town called Tewkesbury, picturesque and with its own traditions,of reenactments,and traditions we are also a cosy tight community. We are now also faced with large housing developments which threaten to destroy the Community and you can see why I love this film First of all-and most important, there are LASHINGS of snow!!!! Then there is the lovely legend of the Christmas Tree and also the Christian denouement as all the community cough up the money to help the destitute farmer save his farm and stay in the community. The evil developers-only after the money are sent packing as the whole town pledge their money to help protect what they have , which is very special. I love the way the whole community send their message to Santa via the post office which is misunderstood by the hero . He and his daughter have a long journey to make after the death of the wife and mother of the family. (There is a likely candidate for this)-even a sleigh ride and most heartwarming of all is that the taxi driver, whose engine is broken is mysteriously given a new one on Christmas morning and no-one had engineered it! There is a lovely moment where Denver sings a lullaby and an exciting search. Great gentle film for everything Christmas is really about.

It was good to see John Denver again though he passed several years ago. I found this film to be very heartwarming and a great film to sit by the fire on a cold winters night recollecting what Christmas is all about. The scenes of Georgetown, Colorado were magnificent and make one want to move there immediately. As I sit here in my own mountain seen in So California I loved the story and the plot. I hope all who see this somewhat older film enjoy it as much as my mother and I did. Merry Christmas! A great film for all the family too see. Enoy and tell others about it. Thanks for the memories. We need to have more films like this come out of Hollywood.