Midnight Clear (2006)

Director:

Dallas Jenkins

Writers:

Wes Halula (writer)
Jerry B. Jenkins (short story)

Release Date:

2006 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

For many people, the holidays are the loneliest time of year. Merry Christmas.

Plot:

A recently homeless and jobless loser, a senior citizen estranged from her family, a mother of one dealing with her husband's brain damage...

Plot Keywords:

Brain Damage | Christmas | Gas Station | Loneliness | Christmas Eve

Awards:

6 wins

Cast

Stephen Baldwin	...	Lefty
K Callan	...	Eva
Kirk B.R. Woller	...	Kirk
Mary Thornton	...	Mary
Mitchell Jarvis	...	Mitch
Richard Fancy	...	Pastor Mark
Victoria Jackson	...	Margaret
Richard Riehle	...	Tommy
Diane Delano	...	Trudy
Wren T. Brown	...	Dale
Dominic Scott Kay	...	Jacob
Loren Lester	...	Gordon
Patricia Rae	...	Samantha
Nikki Boyer	...	Megan
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ron Bath	...	Doctor
Dave Chivvis	...	Gary
Hannah Cowan	...	Caroler
Lisa Dalton	...	Elderly woman #1
Shelly Desai	...	Factory Worker
Kevin Downes	...	Rick
Faline England	...	Heather
Wayne Grace	...	Hungry Old Man
Chad Gundersen	...	Greg
Brad Heller	...	Convenience store customer
Hope Angelica James	...	Sleepy Church Girl
Dallas Jenkins	...	Dad
Ken Kerman	...	Conveniece store keeper
Michael Krawic	...	Police Officer
Denise Lee	...	Receptionist
Billy Joe Martinez	...	Pedestrian 1
Chris Murphy	...	Customer #2
Heather Okun	...	Girlfriend
Todd Peters	...	Boyfriend in car
James Preston	...	Carl
Hope Elizabeth Reeves	...	Tardy Church Girl
Rhonda Reeves	...	Tardy Church Mom
Shaina Sandoval	...	Caroler
John Snelson	...	Boyfriend in car
Briton Swiercinsky	...	Church Attendant
Caprice Swiercinsky	...	Mother in Church
Lexie Swiercinsky	...	Church Attendee
Niki Swiercinsky	...	Church Attendee

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some mature thematic elements.

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:PG-13 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Dallas, Texas, USA

Company:

Clear Midnight

Movie Connections:

Version of Midnight Clear (2005/II)

Soundtrack:

Oh Holy Night

5 stories-1 great 2 good 2 bad.

I just saw Midnight Clear at the Cinequest Film Festival in San Jose and there's a lot I like and a lot I don't. 2 of the stories are from the original short story (written by the director's father) and you can tell they have been constructed with a lot more time and love. Those two stories are of Lefty and Eva, lonely individuals contemplating suicide.The story of Eva is almost unbearably sad and acted perfectly. The Lefty story has a few campy lines, but is still passable. Another good story is that of Mitch, a leader of a youth group wondering if he holds purpose. It's probably the shortest story in the film and the one with the least satisfaction in the end. The other two stories are of a gasoline attendant and a mother, married to a brain dead man. The story of the gas attendant is fine at the start but suffers when the mother enters his story. The dialog for the mother is extremely hokey and cliché and brought the score down a good 2-1.5 stars. Overall I would say there's both great and horrible acting. The direction is the most consistent thing in the film. The script is well constructed but contains a lot of corny dialog. 6/10