Christmas-Reviewer
BEWARE OF FALSE REVIEWS & REVIEWERS. SOME REVIEWERS HAVE ONLY ONE REVIEW TO THEIR NAME. NOW WHEN ITS A POSITIVE REVIEW THAT TELLS ME THEY WERE INVOLVED WITH THE MOVIE. IF ITS A NEGATIVE REVIEW THEN THEY MIGHT HAVE A GRUDGE AGAINST THE FILM . NOW I HAVE REVIEWED OVER 200 HOLIDAY FILMS. I HAVE NO AGENDA. I AM HONESTIn this film a 19 year old college student Ian gets roped into babysitting his brothers kids once again. He gets very mad that his sister in law promises to be home at a certain time and she isn't. This makes IAN very mad because he just missed an important date with his girlfriend who he hardly see's. They both go to desperate colleges. He was kind enough to babysit however he feels disrespected when his sister in law ruins his plans. Once his brother comes home after work he see's that IAN is babysitting. Ian tells his brother things he believes about his wife including the fact that he thinks she is cheating on him. The two brothers have a minor fight and IAN'S brother ends up in an auto accident and dies. A short time later Ian's sister in-laws overdoses and dies. Ian is racked with guilt now because he feels responsible for the deaths of both people. A short time later he drops out of school to become the guardian of his brothers children and step children. I enjoyed this film. The ending was not what I expected because I did want something more elaborate. The acting is fine in this and the pacing of the film is very solid. I really would not calls this "A Christmas Film" but it is about having faith. The message in this film I do support. Its about making amends and saving yourself in the process.
Sharon Musil Foust
This a story about second chances. I do not know how faithful it is to Anne Tyler's novel, I have not read it, but I know in real life everyone needs second chances. In this story everyone gets a second chance but Danny, unfortunately. Lucy gets a second chance with Danny. Bee and Doug Beedloe get a second chance to be parents and they do a good job. Ian ruins Lucy's second chance, but redeems himself by taking responsibility for raising the orphaned children as his parents age, and they do a good job raising them. When the other grandmother is finally found years after Danny and Lucy's deaths, Ian realizes that they are better off without that woman in their lives. A second chance with that grandmother would have been a disaster. Finally Ian himself gets his own second chance with Rita. The Church of Second Chances is a metaphor for life. God is always there giving second chances,and even third and fourth ones. Life is filled with second chances, if we only see them and embrace them.
bkgmoonstar
This is a story of a man's search for forgiveness. A young man gives up his plans for the future in order to raise his orphaned nieces and nephew. Mary-Louise Parker is wonderful(as usual). She is the reason to watch this movie. Blythe Danner and Edward Herrman are also two of my favorite actors. I ran across this one evening and decided to watch based on the cast. I was hooked right away but I felt there was too much missing from the story. I had to read the book. I read the book the following weekend and found that the movie was actually quite faithful to the book just lacking the detail that you only get from a book. All in all, I would recommend this movie (and also the book).
DonnaEllen
While this movie was a little thin in places and had a less than imaginative ending, it is well worth watching and is a nice contrast to highly unrealistic Hollywood films and soap operas where the dead come back to life and/or people really get second chances.How does a person live with the knowledge that his own actions (although they were well intentioned but misguided at the time)destroyed the lives of those closest and dearest to him and caused years of pain and suffering to others? Many would turn to drugs, alcohol, anger, denial, or suicide. This movie shows how it is possible to reach inside yourself and out to others to heal some of the wrong that was done. I liked how it also had a sub-plot about how the young man succeded in life without going to college or getting married (or atleast not until later in life)and how he wanted to "make things that people won't throw away".While it's not the kind of movie you watch with friends and a beer, it's great for a quiet evening at home alone or with family. It gets you thinking.The only trouble that I have with it is that while it begins very strong and I felt drawn into the characters and their dilemas, the last 1/4 of the film was very weak and the characters became cardboard and cliche almost. ie. the oldest girl became a doctor, the youngest a rebellious misfit. Just try to overlook that part and you'll enjoy it.
AD
