Mr. Christmas

If this movie is meant to be an example of a fine, family movie extolling good values or virtue, I'm appalled. Today I was privileged to meet with a mother who just lost her second son in the space of a year to a terrible disease, and whose grandson was murdered, yet was a true model of grace, beauty, and strength of character in the way she faced these things. Then I watch this movie, which, in contrast was so shallow in its characters and message. The mother in this movie came off as self-centered, angry, abrupt, aggressive and abrasive, with no real strength of character, very unsupportive of her husband. Even her reaction to the supposed "miracle" showed no hint of redemption of her character. I'm certain she continues to be a terror to her husband. I can't remember the last time I struggled so hard to like a movie. Hen-pecked father with a tyrant wife, with spoiled children. Don't get me wrong, I can see that what we are "supposed" to get out of this movie is that the father is trying to support and uphold a child's simple faith and goes to great lengths to try to make it happen. But I never got a believable sense of a depth of struggle from this child. Instead, I felt I was watching a child from today's spoiled culture, who insists on getting her own way (all she had to do was watch how her mother treats the husband, and she's set for life on a course of manipulation) Set against a backdrop of a country at war with Japan, with hard times to overcome, the family seemed more in keeping with today's Yuppie family's children values (pampered, never satisfied, self-pitying, always expecting to get what they want). I can't imagine a family in the 1940's behaving this way. There wasn't any depth, or feeling of genuine, believable emotion. It was shallow. The acting was mediocre. In regards to the technical aspects of the movie, this was a "B" movie from the opening frame. The camera work reminded me of a home movie, made by an amateur. Many times it just seemed the camera was just set in a room from a distance and turned on, and the whole scene was shot from this one, distant view (which added to the shallow feeling of the film). There was even one scene where it appeared the camera operator didn't realize that the actor had one more line to say, and was moving the camera away, but swung it back to catch him saying his last line. I could forgive the poor technical points of the film if the story had any real depth. I wrote this review because I was, first of all, astounded at how bad a film it was, and secondly, equally astounded that there were reviewers giving this film a glowing review.

Mr Christmas is a reminder of growing up in a less harried time. It offers its viewers a portrait of family life that is to be valued. The level of accuracy in portraying the time period with costume details & settings adds to the enjoyment. The cast, especially the girls, makes the story far more believable.

It can be enjoyed by the whole family as an addition to other Christmas classics. It brings to life an area and a time period that some of us enjoyed and remember.

As a former librarian I hope it receives a wide circulation. I am looking forward to viewing it again during the season.

If you purchase any movie to watch during the holiday season, get this one. It's only 56 minutes long, yet it is a story that will be in your mind forever. Your whole family will enjoy it!! That goes for grandparents, parents and even the youngest of movie fans. I highly suggest that you also watch the extra sections after viewing the movie. To think that "Carol Lee" had never before acted was amazing. The two little girls....not related to the other....were wonderful.

My sincere thanks and pats on the back go to Beth Brickell for her dedication and diligence in her writing, directing, and sharing memories of her life with the world.

I found this DVD by happenstance at our library's children room and liked it so much I bought the DVD through Amazon. {Note that this film is more a television special than a feature film. It is only 56 minutes long.}The DVD has an excellent background commentary by Beth Brickell, the film-maker and some wonderful out-takes, of which more below.

The film is set in the last three months of 1941 leading up to Christmas day. The setting is Eureka Springs, a real small town in northernmost Arkansas, near the Pea Ridge National Park- a battlefield in the Civil War. Eureka Springs has maintained itself as a Victorian town with some wonderful period architecture.

The movie concerns itself with a young family, a husband and wife in their 20s and their two adorable young daughters about ages 5 and 6.

The film's first merit is its glorious photography that beautifully captures the town and home interiors. {I know nothing about filming movies, but I know what I like. The photographer has some interesting commentary on the DVD for those interested in the technical aspects.}

Second, for those interested in Americana, this film rates a 10 of 10 for its attention to period detail. From Sears, Roebucks catalogues to beautiful period automobiles, the movie puts you back to an earlier and simpler America. Real newspapers and radio recordings provide even more authenticity. I have seen few big-production movies that have done as good a job of putting me in another time and place.

{Personal note: Joel, the father, goes to a Firetown store to try to get Carol Lee a bike. My mother, then just out of high school, worked as a secretary at a Firestone store in Ohio at the very same time. I was born nine months later in Setember 1942!}

The growing friction in the Pacific and the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor provide an historic backdrop to the young family's struggle to make it in an Arkansas that was still in the Depression. The young father is lucky to have a job at all, though it pays only $16 a week. One-in- three Arkansas men were still unemployed at the beginning of World War II. The film is excellent too in juxtaposing the small domestic story of the family's struggles with the global background of America's entering the world stage-however unwillingly.

The next bonus is the two local girls who play the young daughters. There are adorable. I have seen few Hollywood child actors who are as appealing as these two.

Abigail Kinslow plays the younger, "Babby", a proper young Southern lady already.

The older girl, "Carol Lee", is also played by a local girl, Ireland Rose Maddox, whose in my view steals the movie. She wants a bike for Christmas, thinking her tricycle is for "babies". Her little sister will accept whatever she gets. But Carol Lee is heart set on a bike from Santa and will settle for nothing little. This wish and her father's efforts to satisfy it provide the plot.

As played by Ireland Rose Maddox Carol Lee is a treasure. The out-takes showing Ireland Rose acting like Ireland Rose rather than her character Carol Lee are priceless. This is a little girl who knows her own mind ! I have a grand-daughter who is similar. She drives her parents nuts, but she is great for a grandparent.

As Ms. Brickell makes clear in her commentary, Ireland Rose almost made her regret decision not to employ a trained child actor. Ireland Rose largely "acted" when and how she chose. Fortunately however, the result is that the two girls' naturalness is one of the film's prime assets, especially for those jaded by Hollywood's well-trained little robots.

This is not a film for those addicted to Hollywood "production values". Rather, it is in the best sense a work of craftsmanship. Filmed largely with local help and local talent, it shows how modern technology now allows film-making to expand beyond Hollywood's formulas. The film is clearly a labor of love and has a personal intimacy that transcends any defiencies in costly "production values" that a big-budget movie would have had.

I heartily recommend buying the DVD. A good investment that will double your pleasure in watching the film.

I love Christmas movies of all kinds, and this looks like it should be a winner; but the dialog is so stilted, and the acting, directing, and editing are so bad that it's really disappointing. Despite having all the requisite ingredients, it is very very poorly done. The only saving grace is the costumes, which are wonderful, and very evocative of the period (the '40's). But everything else is so bad that it overshadows the one good thing.

The plot might be fine in other hands, but in this production it is almost completely obliterated by poor directing, performances, and editing.

I would love to at least LIKE this, but it was just really poorly done!