Les toiles de Noël

Thomas Kinkade (Jared Padalecki) is struggling to paint his art. He goes home for Christmas with his brother Pat Kinkade (Aaron Ashmore). Their mother Maryanne Kinkade (Marcia Gay Harden) has fallen behind on the mortgage payments and is about to lose the family cottage. Their neighbor and Thomas' mentor Glen (Peter O'Toole) is slowly deteriorating.

It's the late great Peter O'Toole in one of his last films. The man is deteriorating right there in front of our eyes, but his screen presence is still overpowering. The glint in his eyes is ever sparkling. It's a small supporting role and he's doing a completely different movie than everybody else. His performance could win awards while the rest are doing Hallmark adjacent work. It's too bad that it's all in the service of this bland Christmas biopic TV movie.

This movie moves slowly. This is a VERY different type of thing. Sometimes I am in the mood for a slow-mover (so, this one rises to the top of the list). Also, there are no "kookie" gimmicks used to fill-it-out. These things, alone, make this a special viewing.

Beyond that, I enjoyed Peter O'Toole's role (dying inside because of his wife's death, looking for inspiration to paint again). Add to that, a familiar cast of faces, including: Ed Asner as a bright (but subdued) role of an art dealer. Chris Elliott also stands out as the large-ego'd mayor of Placerville

Shake, and pour into a tall glass. In the world of Christmas movies with $12 scripts, this one stands out.

This is a movie which is sure to divide people. It is based on the early life of Thomas Kinkade, "the painter of light". It is a story of the sources of his inspiration: his mentor,and how the difficulties faced by his mother provided a motivation through which he began to find himself.Its weakness is that it isn't sure of its own purpose.It is certainly not a biography or a Christmas movie in the ordinary sense and its comedic moments often miss the mark.In many ways it is like a Kinkade picture: a little sugary and sentimental yet with a warmth and humanity that can touch our hopes for a world where we all have a place and where everything comes out alright in the end However,it it isn't grounded in the reality of the world as we know it. The script is very uneven,occasionally very hammy,yet produces some fine moments. Peter o' Toole's performance as Tom's mentor, rapidly approaching dotage and a loss of his powers is a fine one and justifies a viewing.I also enjoyed the background music.Not for anyone who shrinks from sentimentality.

This film, co-produced by Thomas Kinkade, is as beautiful, natural, and true-to-life as his paintings. Michael Campus, the director provides a breathtaking and memorable reminder of the Christmases of old. This, in addition to the capable writing of Ken LaZebnik, adds to the color of the Christmas story. Jared Padalecki (Thomas Kinkade), who provided a great deal of the emotion and feel of the movie, is a gifted actor. He shows much promise, and it is hoped that a brilliant and long acting career is in his future. Peter O'Toole (Glen Wessler), another gifted and sensitive actor, provides 'the light' for this and many superb performances. Mr. O'Toole is probably best remembered for his award- winning performance in "Lawrence of Arabia". And, it is always good to see Charlotte Rae and Ed Asner, who greatly add to this and many winning performances. Marcia Gay Harden's inner beauty, and outer loveliness, come through in this film. This is a feel-good movie, which does present like a Hallmark Christmas card, but I think that this quality only adds to the presentation. Thomas Kinkade has his own unique style, a brilliance that increasingly illuminates his work. This, along with the spirit of Christmas, makes this film worth seeing. There is empowerment in the story--which, in my opinion, makes this movie deserving of no less than a 10 out of 10. Enjoy the film, and see it with someone you love. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Review Date 6/20/2019

I Have Reviewed OVER 500 "Christmas Films and Specials". Please BEWARE Of films and specials with just one review! For instance When "It's a POSITIVE" chances are that the reviewer was involved with the production. "If its Negative" then they may have a grudge against the film for whatever reason. I am fare about these films.

This film has "Christmas Spirit" to spare. It is a well made star filled story that you can't help but to overlook that it does rip-off of "It's a Wonderful Life". In this film Christmas Cottage tells the semi-autobiographical tale of how a young boy is propelled to launch a career as an artist after he learns that his mother is in danger of losing the family home.

The film works and that is all that matters. Watch it with your family!