A Dog Named Christmas

One of the most heartwarming beautiful movies I've ever watched. It is on my watch list every year for Christmas. Finally I managed to record it so I can watch it any time I want. I love animals and I love the way that boy never gave up on the idea to not only save and have one but help more dogs find a home during the most beautiful time of the year.

And the boy who played the mentally challenged kid did a wonderful job. Watch it during the holidays and you will feel the same way. Of course I am a sucker for Hallmark and Lifetime movies, but really, you gotta watch this one :-) I don't own a dog, just a cat, but if anything ever happens to me, I hope someone takes my sweetheart in like this boy did with Christmas

Am not somebody who hates Christmas or has a bias against made for television Christmas films. The complete opposite on both counts and have made that clear more than once and will continue to do so if necessary. Evident from a number of positive reviews for the Christmas output of Hallmark and Lifetime. The premise for 'A Dog Named Christmas' did sound quite interesting and seemed at times like it was trying to do something a little different and had a more serious subject compared to Hallmark today.

Over the past two years or so, my Christmas film completest quest (made up for primarily those from Hallmark and Lifetime) has been very interesting but also hit and miss. Some were very charming, easy to digest and lovely watches with good casts. Others were very dull, cheesy, too sentimental and badly written and acted. 'A Dog Named Christmas' is in the former category, though it is far from perfect or quite my definition of a great film but it is the complete opposite of a dog.

Maybe a little slow to begin with.

Did feel that the music at times could have been toned down and used more sparingly.

However, 'A Dog Named Christmas' does so much right and the best aspects are pretty brilliant. What is especially good is the poignant and brave performance of Noel Fisher, seldom better as a very relatable and inspirational character that resonated with me on a personal level. Bruce Greenwood is also movingly understated and Linda Edmond does sympathetic compassionately. Loved the honesty of the cast chemistry and that the characters were so relatable with very realistic feelings that are true to life for anybody in the same position or similar.

Furthermore, 'A Dog Named Christmas' looks good. The scenery is truly attractive and photographed with a lot of love. The script is cohesive and doesn't come over as awkward, it also takes itself seriously without being dreary and the sentimentality doesn't become too much. The story is pretty conventional, but its endless charm, its good nature and warm heart more than more up for that. As well as how tactfully and touchingly it handled a serious and very relatable subject that connected me personally, as someone who has disabilities too. Same with the very honest and never preachy messaging, messaging that is also relevant and important.

In conclusion, very well done. 8/10.

Great story that will engage the interest of all who love animals and hopefully change the views of those who are not animal lovers. As Anatole France said, "Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened." This movie demonstrates love for animals, family and is a great advocate for the learning disabled. This movie will help us all understand this quote from Mahatma Gandhi,"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." Hopefully it will encourage people to adopt from our overcrowded animal shelters and to participate in spay/neuter programs also. This movie will be added to the classic Christmas movies our family watches every Christmas.

This was a typical Hallmark Hall of Fame movie: warm, fuzzy, slice-of-life Americana, and I think everyone pretty much knew how it was going to end. Nothing wrong with that, however; we all need a certain amount of that to keep our spirits up. I liked that it wasn't too formulaic--you know, the crusty, closed-down father who really loves his son but can't show it, etc. That wasn't the case here. Bruce Greenwood's character kept a few things close to his vest (Vietnam, the loss of his dogs), but he was certainly not closed down, and was capable of giving and showing affection. Clearly he had a stable, loving family. I loved his relationship with his son, the way he would tease him and the son's mock-indignant responses, which both knew were all part of the game, and the matter-of-fact way he and his wife raised him: firm but loving, realizing he had special needs but not wanting to coddle him too much (a little overprotective at times, perhaps, but who wouldn't be?). The scene where they get out of the car to walk to the shelter and Todd holds his father's hand--not out of physical need but out of love--was one of those little moving touches throughout the movie.

I also liked the fact that Todd was completely accepted, not only by his family (even his young nieces and nephews), but also by his rural community. Everyone treated him with respect and affection without forgetting that he was developmentally challenged. There was no doubt that he was the way he was because of his loving home life. Yet he wasn't cloying because he wasn't perfect (hated to clean his room, for example).

And Noel Fisher deserves a lot of credit for his performance. I'd seen him in "Law and Order Special Victims Unit" where he played a really creepy psychopath and I barely recognized him as the same actor. He was able to capture the sweetness and simplicity of Todd without being condescending or going over the top: the wonderment in the eyes, the way his mouth hesitated sometimes before speaking as he tried to process what was going on, even the way he moved, like a child in a man's body. I loved the fact that he was so uninhibited about showing happiness and affection. I wonder if the actor knew or studied such people in real life, because he seemed to understand so many subtle aspects of how they behave--but all done very respectfully and realistically.

I tend to be wary of sentimental made-for-TV movies in general, but I have to say I was pleased with this one, predictable though it was.

I could go on and on about some of the things people have written but it would be silly. The simple fact is this is a perfect family film. If you love dogs, you will love this. It is actually pretty deep and well thought out. But, even the hardest person will tear up at points because this is a very passionate film. If you don't like dogs, you may not get this. If you live in the country, love dogs, have kids, you will love this. I mean, really love this. Life changing film? Maybe. While the theme of the movie is missed in the first part of the film, it is really developed over the last half of the film. The father figure is an incredibly deep character that is very hard to understand until the end of the film. The mom is perfect and the learning disabled young man plays his role perfectly. Give it a couple hours, you won't be sorry you watched this!