Christmas at Water's Edge

Yeah, i think that subject line pretty much says it all. I am not usually one to post comments on a movie but this one was so bad, I just had to make an exception. So badly acted and badly written that everyone involved in its making ought to be ashamed of themselves. The only reason I continued watching it was because I was so amazed at how bad it was and was convinced it couldn't possibly get any worse. Boy, was i wrong. It eventually deteriorated into a bad Sister Act 2 remake. Characters so one-dimensional and annoying, you are almost yelling at them to get the hell off your screen. Positive images of African-Americans? Yeah right. The girl is a vapid, spoiled brat who is not going to graduate from college, and heavens forbid the son actually want to be in college as opposed to pursuing a music career. I was insulted by it. I wish for no one to see this movie. Save yourself.

"Christmas at Water's Edge" is one of the many TV movies made each year around the Holiday season - this one in 2004. Occasionally, one turns out to be a real gem, and it's not a secret because many people will have seen it and many have rated it very high. A little more often, there will be a very good Christmas movie - sometimes even two in one year. But, the vast majority of such seasonal films are in the middle, ranging from fair to good. They're okay for one viewing, but nothing to look forward to on a yearly basis.

Then there also are some films that one can't recommend at all. They suffer in multiple ways - poor or weak screenplays, confused or haphazard plots and stories, bad acting, poor direction and any number of technical weaknesses.

This one suffers mostly from a really bad screenplay that bounces all over the place. And, a forced story that seems to be emulating pieces of three great stories and movies - Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol," "It's a Wonderful Life" of 1946, and "The bishop's Wife" of 1947. The only problem with the cast is that most of them needed acting lessons. All of this is put in a plot with a spoiled college student who is visited by an angel to help straighten her out and learn the true meaning of Christmas. That will happen, so the story goes, by the angel and Leila organizing a youth center's holiday concert.

I also struggled to stay with this film to see if it didn't have something to redeem it; but, alas, it didn't. Nine out of 10 viewers would probably find this film boring, and unable to stay with it. But, maybe 10 percent will like it. It should be a signal to movie buffs that if a Christmas or holiday film isn't carried by a major TV channel, chances are it won't be very good. This film wasn't, and isn't. I only saw it because it was one in a multi-movie DVD I purchased.

I liked Christmas At Water's Edge. For one, it was good to see Keshia Knight Pulliam, back on the screen again.I was ,also, glad to see Janet Hubert and Tom Bosley. The plot was very simple. For a movie starring African Americans, it did not contain profanity or anything disrespectful. I felt it was a family movie. Even though, it was a little predictable, it gave a good feeling, and you felt the spirit of Christmas. The acting could have been slightly better but the messages within were very clear. Also, Pooch Hall looked good all throughout the movie! I would urge everybody to watch it, the next time it comes on. It is great for the family. Even though, there weren't any Oscar performances, it was a fun movie. If you watch the movie with a closed mind, you will not get anything from it. You have to see past the slightly predictable plot and the less than stellar performances and see it for what it was...a pleasant Christmas surprise! I loved every minute of it.

I really appreciate a movie that captures the true spirit of Christmas. Many times we get caught up in the idea of presents and material possessions, that we forget that there are people who never experience a happy Christmas. And Christmas at Water's Edge reminds us of the true meaning of having family and friends in our lives. Filled with a great cast of notables such as Keisha Knight Pulliam and Tom Bosley creates a familiar setting for TV buffs who grew up with Happy Days and The Cosby Show. I thoroughly enjoyed the positive images all of the cast brought to the screen-especially for African Americans. Far to often television portrays the African American Family as entertainers as oppose to business people like the father portrayed in Christmas at Water's Edge. It was nice to see images of African Americans in another line of work.

Also, the story was inspiring and well thought out. The perfect story for young adults. Our young adults born in and after the 80's are of the "give me, and mine, mine, mine generation," that movies like this awaken them to recognize true meanings in life. Christmas at Water's Edge is a wholesome family movie worth repeating for years to come.

I have never seen a movie like this before on regular TV. It was so nice seeing African American characters I could relate too. Layla and her brother reminded me of me and my brother growing up. It was nice to see "Lil' Rudy" acting again and I never knew Ray J could act either. As a hip rendition of "Scrooge", with a street wise angel attempting to straighten out the attitude of a spoiled brat, I really liked their chemistry. And as a teacher, have no problem sharing this movie with my students.