indy_go_blue44 Review of The Christmas Gift

The Christmas Gift (1986 TV Movie)

Christmas the way it should be?

[8/10 · 29 October 2006]

The joy and tragedy of the Christmas Season lies in the fact that it mostly revolves around family. That is why some people call it "the children's holiday." As we age, natural attrition and progress removes the people and the things that gave us our special memories. John Denver, in one of his sweetest roles, plays George Billings, a successful NYC architect and new widower who lost his wife about a year earlier. His life is focused around his 9 year old daughter, Alex; both are still grieving their loss. George is trying his best to make this a special Christmas for his daughter. Enter his boss, Thomas Renfield (roguishly played by the wonderful Col. Flagg of M*A*S*H guy, Edward Winters), who sends George to Georgetown, CO to explore a possible real estate deal. Lying to his daughter that the purpose of the trip is a vacation rather than work, George and Alex fly into town, where they're immediately met by a collection of loving generous but somewhat eccentric group of characters whose main eccentricity is that they all believe in Santa Claus. Georgetown is a picture book community we'd all love to live in and we'd love the people for neighbors. George soon meets a love interest in Susan (Jane Kazmarek.) Were it not for the grinch (Renfield) it would be an ideal time. But the fact is, he is in town to find property for Renfield to develop, and there is a nice ranch near town about to be foreclosed, and the dark edges of the movie revolve around the impending foreclosure and the reactions of the townies, the rancher, and the outsiders. I won't spoil the ending for those who've never seen the movie. It's a typical happy Christmas ending, but it's handled in a fairly subtle and believable way that shows the best in the human spirit without being too syrupy. All in all, this is a most pleasant way to spend a couple of your Christmas TV hours. John Denver and Jane Kazmarek have nice chemistry and Gennie James as Alex does a real nice job. I've always loved the work of Mary Wickes, a recognizable character actress, and all of the other cast members do a nice job with less meaty parts. This is a regular Christmas fare for my family; I rate it 4/5.