The 12 Dogs of Christmas (2005)

User Rating:

6.0/10   

Director:

Kieth Merrill

Writers:

Emma Kragen (book)
Steven Paul Leiva (screen treatment)

Genre:

Family

Plot:

A girl who uses dogs to teach people about the true meaning of Christmas during the Depression. |

Plot Keywords:

Girl | Christmas | Dog | Sentimental | Great Depression

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Jordan-Claire Green	...	Emma O'Conner
Tom Kemp	...	Douglas O'Conner
Susan Wood	...	Cathy Stevens
Adam Hicks	...	Mike Stevens
Jim Jackman	...	Melvin
Richard Riehle	...	Mayor Nobel Doyle
Roland Pelletier	...	Clerk-Sherriff
John Billingsley	...	Dogcatcher Doyle
Cathy Worthington	...	Woman in Furs
Bonita Friedericy	...	Aunt Delores
Dorothy Brodesser	...	Mabel
Michael Howard	...	Old Jake Charles
Mindy Sterling	...	Mrs. Walsh
Kapri Merrill	...	Mrs. Clancy
Eric Lutes	...	Coach Cullimore

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Singapore:G | Australia:G | USA:G

Filming Locations:

Bethel, Maine, USA

Company:

Alchemist Productions

Trivia:

The sidecar motorcycle ridden by the dog catchers is a modified Rokon (prounounced "Rock On") motorcycle. It is a 2-wheel drive motorcycle.

Soundtrack:

SNo

A Family Movie in the Grand Tradition

I'm old, and I don't mind admitting it. I remember when family movies were made by Disney, and they had story lines that kids and parents could watch together without embarrassment or fear, and which were just plain old simple entertainment. Somehow somewhere along the track Hollywood slipped off the rails and decided that little kids needed to hear naughty words, and parents wouldn't take their kids to a show if they couldn't see some at least some implied sex. WRONG!!!

Kieth Merrill seems to have remembered. Here is a story where the bad guys are bad, but on a level that kids can cope with, and the good guys are good, but on a matching level. Folks like I know and live around. The protagonist boy and girl are nice kids, they don't kiss, they don't even get romantic. The school marm looks a bit like Lily Tomlin, and is just the right level of taught and nasty, and redeems herself at the end. The mayor is pompous and stuffy, and comes around in the end too.

It is all wonderful fluff, with dogs that behave a lot of the time, and don't, just enough of the time, to make the film extra believable. The camera work and acting are outstanding. I have no hesitation in recommending this film to any family anywhere for watching together as a family. Please buy it and thumb your nose at the "experts" in Hollywood who just don't "get" it that nice clean family fun like this is worth making, and has a market.