Un Noël en famille

This is another feel-good Christmas movie that is made for TV, where nine year old Felice (Jenna Boyd) writes a letter to Santa Claus asking for a mommy. Her father is widower Joel Wallace (John Schneider) who is a workaholic and lets reporter Mary Maloney (Cynthia Gibb) get the scoop of Felice's story inside their home. She soon learns that miracles can happen.

Schneider and Gibb make a great duo and had great on-screen chemistry. Much of the acting was spot-on and the story was mostly entertaining, if a bit too slow at times. But, there is a nice plot twist to the story.

It's another nice movie for Christmas time, providing you with some good, clean entertainment and with some heartfelt moments that will make you feel good.

Grade B

Mary Christmas is the best Christmas movie made in years. It contains all the elements of an excellent Christmas movie. The outstanding writing of Betty G. Birney and story by Stanley M. Brooks come together with quality acting and production.

The simple writing of a letter to Santa by a lonely little girl joins the letter of a TV personality on a news show to form the basis of the magic of all great Christmas stories. The magic starts early and increases throughout the story. Believable, wonderful, hope and despair combine to keep us engrossed in the story

If you want the warmth and joy that great Christmas movies bring be sure to see Mary Christmas.

"Holiday" theme films get a bad rap. That's too bad because I enjoy many of them and this one is near the top.

The description of this film on IMDb doesn't really isn't accurate. What I will say is that the film is self aware not to send the audience into a diabetic coma.

IN this film a reporter must do a Christmas story after her boss forces her into it. She all work but to call her hard nosed is 100% wrong. She is not hard at all. She is not mean to anybody at all. Even her jerk-off boss she is nice to. She is however disappointed that she always has to do this "Soft news" segments. Her contract however is up and if she doesn't deliver a good story she maybe out of a job. Cynthia Gibb plays the reporter.

Now I am a huge Cynthia Gibb fan. I loved her work in "Fame", "The Karen Carpenter Story" and she more than held her own in the film "Gypsy" playing opposite Bette Middler.

The story she must do is a story on a man who is a single dad at Christmas. Now you may think you know what is going to happen BUT there is some nice surprises in this film.

If you can't find this playing on television during the holidays then buy it. Its worth the $10. Buy it and share with friends.

Excellent acting by John Schneider (Dukes of Hazard County & Smallville), Cynthia Gibb, and nine year old Jenna Boyd, who played Schneider's nine year old daughter, Felice Wallace, who wrote a letter to Santa Claus asking for a mommy. The letter ended up on the desk of Gibb's Mary Maloney, a TV reporter who was goaded into filming Felice and her family's Christmas. Tom Bosley did an excellent portrayal of a mysterious temporary governor, i.e., a male nanny, for Felice. Renee Ridgeley of "The Young And The Restless," portrayed the woman in Schneider's life whom Felice felt was intrusive in their relationship. My wife and I were spellbound watching this movie with a heart. This movie crosses age groups and I would recommend it to anyone wanting good clean entertainment. This review was of the November 26, 2005 showing recorded from PAX television and viewed several days later.

This 2002 film by Heartland Entertainment was rebroadcast on PAX-TV ever the weekend of 19-21 Dec 2003, so I taped it then watched it just last night. I thoroughly enjoy movies with plot twists (which I also never spoil) and I didn't see this one coming. A very enjoyable film and an excellent vehicle for John Schnieder - who also directed. Also, the role of Guv'nor was very well filled by Tom Bosley (of Happy Days fame). All around good casting, acting and direction. If you didn't catch it this year, I highly recommend it for future Christmas viewings.