The Christmas Hope

The plot for "The Christmas Hope" is one that might make a story any time of the year. Indeed, most long-time movie buffs will have seen several films with similar plots. Still, we are drawn to another tale of love, tragedy and loss, healing and love renewed. The Christmas setting for this film gives the plot some special twists.

The cast are all quite good. Madeleine Stowe gives an excellent performance at the grief-stricken Patricia Addison. She is on-again, off-again with her misery at the loss of her son two years before. She handles with mastery her shifts from periods of bitterness and melancholy, to those of caring for a young girl who has just lost her mother. In her tender roles as a child welfare worker, she imparts just enough reticence about warming up to a child, that one can sense the hurt and sorrow she must still feel. At the same time, we wonder why she has not been able to get through such a long period of grieving. James Remar is equally good in his lesser role as Mark Addison, her husband.

This is a very good film that the whole family should enjoy. It may take some explaining for smaller children – and reassuring. As with other melodramas of holiday periods, Christmas Hope has some interesting twists and connections.