A Grandpa for Christmas (TV 2007)

Bert is an old-time movie-star singer/ hoofer, who's retired from showbiz and estranged from his daughter and 9-year-old granddaughter, Becca. Bert, about to sell his house and move into a ... See full summary »

Director:

Harvey Frost

Writer:

David Alexander

Stars:

Ernest Borgnine, Katherine Helmond, Juliette Goglia

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ernest Borgnine	...	Bert O'Riley
Katherine Helmond	...	Roxie Famosa
Juliette Goglia	...	Becca O'Riley
Richard Libertini	...	Karl Sugarman
Tracy Nelson	...	Marie O'Riley
Jamie Farr	...	Adam Johnson
Quinn K. Redeker	...	Jack Fast (as Quinn Redeker)
Justine Dorsey	...	Ashley Gee (as Justine Rose Dorsey)
Timilee Romolini	...	Christine Rogers
Tom Virtue	...	George Rogers
K.T. Thangavelu	...	Dr. Burney
Gwen McGee	...	Kathryn Waters
Kelsey Lewis	...	Heather Rogers
Ruth Silveira	...	Ruth Ortiz
Alaina Talebreza	...	Mrs. Casterline

Storyline

Bert is an old-time movie-star singer/ hoofer, who's retired from showbiz and estranged from his daughter and 9-year-old granddaughter, Becca. Bert, about to sell his house and move into a retirement home, suddenly finds himself caring for Becca when her mom is hospitalized - and the bond between the two of them grows (Bert takes Becca to school everyday; she meets his old show-biz friends).

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Plot Keywords:

retirement | retired | schoolgirl | old young relationship | hospital visit | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Details

Official Sites:

Hallmark Channel

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 November 2007 (USA)

Also Known As:

Bert & Becca

Filming Locations:

Southern California, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

RHI Entertainment, Alpine Medien Productions, Larry Levinson Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min 90 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

User Reviews

Credit where it is due... this is pretty good

I didn't know exactly what to expect when I sat down to watch this, and I was pleasantly surprised. While this does not hold an awful lot of surprises, it not only has its heart in the right place, but it respects that delicate balance, and remains sweet, never growing sappy. This is one of the precious few films that are entirely inoffensive without going too far in the other direction and becoming irritating. The plot is interesting enough, and it doesn't lose your interest. This is well-paced. The characters are nicely developed, and there aren't any that only have negative sides(with one possible exception). Production isn't half bad. Without being a tragic tale, this does stay close to reality, and really comes across largely genuine(albeit one or two occurrences strain credulity somewhat). The acting is decent enough. Borgnine is great, and the kid is fine. This should get laughs out of most viewers, with its solid mix of silly jokes and a dry wit. The singing is quite enjoyable. This promotes wholesome morals without seeming preachy. I recommend it to everyone who watches Christmas movies. 7/10