Silver Bells (2013)

An overly win-driven sportscaster goes too far and must perform community service during December as a bell-ringer for the Salvation Army.

Director:

Harold Cronk

Writer:

Andrea Gyertson Nasfell

Stars:

Bruce Boxleitner, Kenton Duty, Antonio Fargas

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bruce Boxleitner	...	Bruce Dalt
Kenton Duty	...	Jason Dalt
Antonio Fargas	...	Major Melvin Lowell
Bridgett Newton	...	Piper Dalt
Russell Wolfe	...	Jim Morgan
Laura Spencer	...	Kasey Dalt
Amy E. Kiser	...	Lesley Stiles
Kevin Downes	...	Ref #1
Ryan Newman	...	Ref #2
John Benchley	...	Food Volunteer
Kym Whitehead	...	Roberta Lowell
Amy McFadden	...	Judy Gage
Thomas Richert	...	Arlo Gage (as Tom Richert)
William Matthews	...	Chad (as Matt Tailford)
Noah Genson	...	Point Guard

Storyline

Sportscaster Bruce Dalt is a man basically full of himself with nothing to curb his competitive and ceaseless go-for-the-gold attitude. A mishap during his son's basketball game lands him in court where he is ordered to do community service. Now he's a reluctant bell-ringer for the Salvation Army. His arrogant behavior, captured on video, goes viral and negatively impacts his career and family, causing both to crumble before him. Major Melvin Lowell of the Salvation Army, knowing of God's love, guides his actions, hoping he'll come to recognize the charity of Christmas beyond just coins gathered in a collection pot.

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Plot Keywords:

christmas | salvation army | community service | sportscaster | charity | 

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Genres:

Family

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Certificate:

TV-G

Did You Know?

Goofs

When Bruce argues with the referee, he is called for interference and two free throws are given to the other team. The hand signal made by the referee is actually the signal for a technical foul, as there is no such thing as an interference foul. More importantly, referees are not capable of calling fouls on spectators. In this situation, the spectator would be asked to leave, and it would have no impact on the outcome of the game.

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Quotes

Bruce Dalt: [after having muscled his way into a parking space from the wrong direction] People get so crazy at Christmastime.
Major Melvin Lowell: They do. They forget what's important, don't they?

User Reviews

A little cheesy but fun

Each year I search for a Christmas movie with a Christian slant appropriate for the youth in the youth group my wife and I voluntarily lead. We've done all the big ones ("The Nativity Story", "It's a Wonderful LIfe") and some smaller gems ( "The Ultimate Gift" and the wonderful, under-appreciated "Noelle") but other than those we often are desperate for something that is not a completely cheesy Hallmark type movie with a nod towards the Christ story. Last year I used clips from old "ER's" which always had emotional and impact-full Christmas episodes.

This movie is a little cheesy but lots of fun. For me, living in central-western Michigan, it has the allure of being shot in and around Grand Rapids with several local venues being shown. It is also a big plug for the Salvation Army, which is a very deserving organization (and also K- Mart which is, altruistically speaking, less deserving.)

The story revolves around a local, hyper-competitive sports reporter (Will Dalton played a little over-the-top by Bruce Boxleitner) and his family consisting of his spouse and two children (his son Jason is played by Kenton Duty who does a great job.) Antonio Fargas as Melvin Lowell, a Major in the Salvation Army is also very winning.

Will gets in trouble by carelessly but accidentally injuring a ref in his son's high school basketball game when he vociferously protests the ref's decision. This ultimately loses the game for his son, who quits the team in humiliation, and their father-son relationship suffers. In addition the referee presses charges for his (minor) injuries and Bruce must do humiliating (for him) community service by bell ringing at a Salvation Army kettle. Further, because his embarrassingly uncontrolled behavior has gone viral on social media, he loses his anchor spot at his work. There are some very funny developments and under the tutelage of Major Lowell the "go-for-the-win" Bruce begins to realize Christmas means more than who has the best home decorations or even who can raise the most money at his Christmas kettle.

There is also a side story about a Central Michigan University football player who has just won the Heisman trophy. Obviously, this part of the plot is a complete fantasy given the big money and politics involved in who wins the Heisman. Somebody involved in this film is pretty clearly a CMU alum as there are Central Michigan banners up all over the place and nary a Michigan State University or University of Michigan appearance. I am an alum of both MSU and U of M but good for the little guys!

The Christian content is gentle but central to the theme, so those who object to such proselytizing may dislike this film. But the main theme is very humanitarian and charitable, focusing on what Christmas SHOULD be about rather than what it so often is.

Silver Bells was obviously shot on a very low budget and apparently released direct-to-video, and that sometimes shows. But it was indeed filmed during the winter season and the snowy scenes look very real. Some actors deliver their lines more convincingly than others but overall the acting did not make me roll my eyes. For an evening of smiles and basic truths being re-enforced, you could do a lot worse.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 September 2015 (Germany)

Also Known As:

Silver Bells

Filming Locations:

Manistee, Michigan, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

10 West Studios, Rebel Forge

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min

Color:

Color