Amour paternel

Unable to find a job, handsome young Kristopher Turner (as Matthew "Matt" Blessing) is nonetheless happily planning to be a father. However, blonde girlfriend Emma Taylor-Isherwood (as Megan Eubanks) declines his marriage proposals and intends to put their baby up for adoption. Faced with losing his child, Mr. Turner decides to take matters into his own hands. In real life, Turner's character would be swiftly hunted down and throw in prison for doing what he contemplates in this film. This story take a fantastical different track. It's more inspirational than accurate. Obviously, the world would be better if more prospective fathers were like the one covered here; this is the film's thesis, and it's a good one...

"A Dad for Christmas" is based on the young adult novel "Me and Luke" (1987), by Audrey O'Hearn. The adaptation, by Alan Hines, is very well done. He and director Eleanor Lindo take a distinct character and make him suitable for a TV Movie screen – and for the lead actor, who is believable despite being older and more instantly employable than the scruffy 17-year-old in the book. Lucky to have a good production team, Turner is consistently sincere. Led by a lovely late-career role for Louise Fletcher (as Glennie), the supporting cast does well. This may not be how events often happen in reality, but it's how they could. Babies should start lives with fathers who want them as much as we see here.

****** A Dad for Christmas (12/3/06) Eleanor Lindo ~ Kristopher Turner, Louise Fletcher, Jack Shepherd, Lindsay Ames

Alongside Christmas Note and 12 days of Xmas Eve ( the best fantasy film ) This is one of Hallmarks best films. A young father fights for the custody of his newborn son while his ex-girlfriend wants to just foster the baby out so she can go to college aided by her manipulative mother. Matt gets support from his granny and Bert a retired lawyer.

As with Christmas Note, this film deals with real issues unlike most of the cliched Hallmark Christmas movies.

A young man taking on the role as mother and father to his baby son is reminiscent of the film " 3 men and a baby. An exceedingly watchable film.

Based on a book of the same name, 'Me and Luke' also goes by the title 'A Dad for Christmas'. As the alternative title suggests, this story unapologetically centres on family issues, in a wholesome way.

Well-crafted family dynamics focus on the lives of a newborn baby Luke and his young parents. Each main character shines sufficiently to make their motivations clear. Matt Bessing (Kristopher Turner) is the young 19 year-old student father. However, Megan Eubanks (Emma Taylor-Isherwood), the mother, decides college and career is her destiny, not the newborn whom she alone now chooses to give away for adoption. People's lives forever change, and Pam (Lindsay Ames, of Metropia; Gossip; and The Vow) steps into Matt's life. She too has mapped out her own future, away from the small American town where the events unfurl. Louise Fletcher and Jack Shepherd feature as doting grandparents Glennie and Bert (a retired attorney who warmly gives Matt encouragement to do the right thing) amidst a major legal problem concerning Luke's custody.

There are no fireworks, just healthy family interplay – of the kind often missing in busy modern life – though the film's only rogue, Benson, has other devious ideas. Under Eleanor Lindo's directorship warmth wins the day without allowing the film to nosedive into unnecessary cheesy schmaltz. Lindo's entire directorial career is in TV movie-making. Consequently, the situation and characters are always believable and draw you right in. Both titles are somewhat misleading, as the film would be better called 'Pass the Baby' and Christmas is incidental.

Begins well, develops at a steady pace, ends suitably, and makes a worthwhile watch.

I found this movie on YouTube, and Title was not "A Dad for Christmas or Me & Luke" I only found the movie because I looked up Louise Fletcher and Kristopher Turner because they were starring in the movie.

I posted on comment on YouTube that I found the movie to be an absolutley beautiful movie. I grew up in a house that I did not feel love. I lived in fear of my father; he passed away in 2014 and to this day I do not feel guilty at all that he is gone and I didn't spend much time with him.

For me this movie was so emotionally uplifting, makes me happy to think that there are fathers out there that truly love their children and do whatever it takes to make sure that their children has a good solid upbringing.

I loved it, I really loved it! I just got done watching it on my tape + now I have to clean up all the wet tissues from around me. Kristopher Turner was a good choice for the lead. Louise Fletcher was a seasoned "gramma" + went from hard-nosed to warm + caring during the movie. I'm a baby person, I love + watch anything that has to do with babies. I also thought at the end that I wish I had had a "Matt" for a father. So loving + caring. That baby will never miss love like so many of us have. Shame there aren't more Matt's in the world! He was a really good actor. I realized it especially when the social worker took Luke away. I thought Matt's heart was going to break just by the look on his face! I'll give it a 10!!