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The film opens with a small American family setting out by car, with little idea where they’re going. Martha (Kristy Swanson) has been abandoned by her husband. He not only ran off with another woman, he emptied their bank accounts and has left her pretty much destitute. She can’t stay there (although it wasn’t entirely clear why) so she packs her daughters Mel and Lilee into the back of the car, her stepson Miles in the front, and they set off. She has some cash to buy fuel and food, but urgently needs work.
They drive north, stopping at various locations with no luck. They eventually stop at a tiny hamlet; Martha knows she needs to sleep, and the children need to have somewhere to stay. They manage to find a temporary apartment to rent, and she even finds some waitressing work, but then there’s the problem of who will look after the children…
It was obvious from the start that this is something of a Cinderella story; but the acting and the pace of the film are excellent. We were particularly impressed by the three children. Miles (Kevin Herring III) has a complex role; he’s devastated that his father left, and adamant that Martha is NOT his mother, even though she has looked after him for the past four years since their families were blended. He is certain his father will return for him, but his life isn’t easy. He wears glasses and has a stutter that becomes worse when he is stressed, and he has to deal with constant teasing and bullying at whatever school he attends.
Mel (Kirstin Dorn) is an absolute delight. She’s loving, responsible, and also has a strong belief in the power of prayer. Ages aren’t mentioned, but we gathered that Miles is about ten or eleven, Mel perhaps a year younger, although they’re around the same height. The two of them get along very well, on the whole.
Then there’s Lilee (Lilee Clyde). Martha says she’s three, but she looks and behaves more like a child of two-and-a-half. I don’t know how old the actress was, but she was excellent, providing quite a bit of humour - Lilee is independent and curious, and doesn’t make life easy for the rest of her family.
If it hadn’t been for the children, the story would have been predictable and possibly schmalzy. But the antics of the youngsters pull it out of the ordinary; their chemistry with their screen mother is strong, their conversations believable. I could empathise strongly with Martha, attempting to be a good, loving mother while urgently needing to provide some kind of home and stability for the children.
I found it a bit hard to keep track of the different people who came into the diner where Martha finds work; perhaps it doesn’t much matter. Some are a bit grumpy but she’s charming to them all, and even attracts the attention of someone who has taken little interest in women since he was jilted the day before his wedding. But the directors didn’t make the mistake of turning this into a romance; Martha is still legally married, and her family are her priority.
The local residents are mostly sorry for Martha, and although she only works for about ten days before Christmas, I wasn’t surprised that she’s tipped well, and even that people give advice and gifts to the children. But the last ten minutes or so of the film do rather require a suspension of belief… however it works well. The ending turns it into a feel-good story with a Christian emphasis that’s done very well (in my view) without any preaching.
It’s light-weight, and suitable for all the family so long as they’re comfortable with the theme of a broken home and destitution. I can’t find a UK rating and since it was made for TV in the United States, it doesn’t seem to be rated there either. I assume it would have been G, or PG at most.
Recommended if you want a light-weight well-made Christmas film and don’t mind the predictability (and rapidity) of the ending.
A Christmas Wish is quite expensive to buy new, perhaps because it's imported (and over ten years old) but if you can find it inexpensively in a charity shop or elsewhere second-hand, it's a nice addition to a Christmas film collection.
Review copyright 2024 Sue's DVD Reviews
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