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The Angel Doll

  • 2002
  • PG
  • 1h 33m
IMDb RATING
6.6/10
311
YOUR RATING
Keith Carradine in The Angel Doll (2002)
Drama

Two small town boys sharing paper route. "Whitey" Black lives in poverty with his single mother and young middle class Jerry Barlow. When Whitey wants to buy his small sister a doll it all o... Read allTwo small town boys sharing paper route. "Whitey" Black lives in poverty with his single mother and young middle class Jerry Barlow. When Whitey wants to buy his small sister a doll it all opens their eyes to the vastness life around them.Two small town boys sharing paper route. "Whitey" Black lives in poverty with his single mother and young middle class Jerry Barlow. When Whitey wants to buy his small sister a doll it all opens their eyes to the vastness life around them.

  • Director
    • Alexander Johnston
  • Writers
    • Alexander Johnston
    • Jerry Bledsoe
  • Stars
    • Betsy Brantley
    • Beatrice Bush
    • Pat Hingle
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.6/10
    311
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Alexander Johnston
    • Writers
      • Alexander Johnston
      • Jerry Bledsoe
    • Stars
      • Betsy Brantley
      • Beatrice Bush
      • Pat Hingle
    • 10User reviews
    • 3Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos7

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    Top cast36

    Edit
    Betsy Brantley
    Betsy Brantley
    • Mary Barlow
    Beatrice Bush
    • Pearl Cumberland
    Pat Hingle
    Pat Hingle
    • Noah Roudabush
    Gil Johnson
    • Jack Barlow
    Nick Searcy
    Nick Searcy
    • Col. Brandeis
    Cody Newton
    • Whitey Black
    Michael Welch
    Michael Welch
    • Little Jerry Barlow
    Diana Scarwid
    Diana Scarwid
    • Fronia Black
    Keith Carradine
    Keith Carradine
    • Adult Jerry Barlow
    Nick Angel
    • Santa
    Don Henderson Baker
    • Somber Man
    Calleigh Crumpler
    • Emily
    John Copeman
    John Copeman
    • Milkman Woodrow Jones
    Christian Durango
    • Randy Clark
    Cordereau Dye
    • Let Cumberland
    Kate Finlayson
    • Pageant Director
    Kelly Jones Gabriele
    Kelly Jones Gabriele
    • Mrs. Edwards
    • (as Kelly Jones Gabrielle)
    Lindsey Good
    • Sandy Black
    • Director
      • Alexander Johnston
    • Writers
      • Alexander Johnston
      • Jerry Bledsoe
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews10

    6.6311
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    Featured reviews

    8SpudV

    Good Message

    An interesting choice for a Christmas movie, but one that gives a little different message than others. It starts out as a buddy film set in the '50's, and it will be a nice trip down nostalgia lane for older baby boomers. The plot thickens to more of a crisis, as one of the boy's sister is sick from polio and fading fast, and the boy wants to make her Christmas special.

    The girl loves angels and the book "The Angel Doll", so he struggles to find (and afford) an angel doll for her. The message at the end of the book has a small angel asking the question: what can I give to the Christ child? It's something that all Christians should ask themselves each year during the holidays, and not just thinking about buying gifts and making out our own lists. There's also a strong underlying current on the importance of family ties in the film.

    While there may not necessarily be a "Hollywood" happy ending to this film, it's a well-told tale about a chapter in a boy's life. Be sure to see the extra clip on the DVD.
    10thomascox1

    New Christmas Classic

    A new Christmas Classic that truly brings back the lost message of the season. Both children and adults will enjoy the truly entertaining characters and the story line, that keeps even the youngest viewers distracted until the final credits!!

    Great Work, Sandy!!
    10rwneal

    A Little unknown film, destined to be a classic

    I was lucky that I had sister who read the book and bought the Video when if came out at Barnes Nobles. This movie never received any publicity that I'm aware of. I know it's based on a true story about a boy growing up in a small town near me. It's amazing how even living 15 miles away, I never heard of the movie. Anyway to get back to the movie, the only thing I saw wrong was some of piano music in the beginning was a little bit hokey. The movie will remind you a lot of "Stand by Me". The actors, who for the most part are little know, deliver great performances. This is low budget film like "Breaking Away was". It will steal your heart and give older parents fond Christmas memories. The movie leaves you to wonder what happened to the little boy named "Whitey".
    9StarQuest77

    destined to be a Christmas Classic!!!

    This movie brings back some of the old feel for Christmas movies and is a must see for people who remember what Christmas is really all about. Although it has some interesting plot problems, it definitely brings out the Christmas Spirit.
    8robert-temple-1

    Simple Touching Story of Childhood Friendship in 1950 Smalltown America

    Occasionally marketed as a 'Christmas movie', this film has very little to do with Christmas, except that children can watch it. It was one of only two films written and directed by North Carolinian Alexander Johnston, who died immediately after it was finished, aged only 41. The film is set in Thomasville, North Carolina, in 1950, and much of it is clearly derived from real experiences. Although the film starts slowly and the first few minutes are unexciting, once the film is into its stride, it takes off due to the honesty and integrity of the director, and the marvellous performances he elicits from the two boys whose childhood friendship is portrayed, Cody Newton and Michael Welch. There is a small role for Cody's sister played very well by Lindsey Good, of whom we do not see enough, because she is always in bed with polio. The film is based upon the absolute reign of terror of the polio epidemics in America in the early 1950s, when it was not realized that the virus was transmitted by water, and many children died from it without anyone knowing how they even got the disease. How everything was transformed by the polio vaccine developed by Dr. Jonas Salk later in the decade! The horror and fear were defeated, and terrible stories like this could no longer happen in the Western world. People who were not alive in 1950 cannot possibly imagine the hysteria and terror inspired by polio in America, and how it effected the movements and activities of every child in the country. This is all well documented in this film, and should be required viewing for social and medical historians. Diana Scarwid is wonderful as the hopelessly depressed alcoholic mother of Cody Newton in this bittersweet drama. The story turns on the polio-stricken little girl Sandy's obsession with angels, and her wish for an 'angel doll'. Her brother wishes to buy one for her but cannot find one, then his money is stolen by another boy, but his friend gives him his own money, and the search for the angel doll continues. A friendly black family come to the rescue, and the mother turns an ordinary doll into an angel doll for them. Everything about this charming film, narrated by Keith Carradine who plays the grown-up Michael Welch and remembers what happened in his youth, is delightful, fresh and natural. Really there ought to be more uncomplicated movies like this, which have a point but lack all affectation. Scoffers and sceptics and cynics beware, you watch an honest film like this at your peril!

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    Drama

    Storyline

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    Did you know

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    • Trivia
      This was writer/ director Alexander "Sandy" Johnston's final project.

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    Details

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    • Release date
      • September 14, 2002 (United Kingdom)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • L'ange de Noël
    • Filming locations
      • Memphis, Tennessee, USA(Saint Jude's Children's Hospital)
    • Production companies
      • Angel Doll Productions
      • Wild Bunch Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 33m(93 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 4:3

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