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Audience Rating: G (General Audience)
Binding: VHS Tape
EAN: 9780764007217
Format: Color, Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered, NTSC
ISBN: 0764007211
Label: Starz / Anchor Bay
Manufacturer: Starz / Anchor Bay
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: Starz / Anchor Bay
Release Date: August 31, 1999
Running Time: 88 minutes
Sales Rank: 372
Studio: Starz / Anchor Bay
Theatrical Release Date: November 22, 1985
Editorial Review:
Amazon.com:
Grab an econo-pack of tissues, gather your loved ones around a cozy television, and bring on the hot cocoa--it's time for a dose of Christmas spirit. The tender and charming Mary Steenburgen (Parenthood) dons a sour disposition in her role as Ginny Grainger, a woman who finds little joy in life lately--let alone in the impending holiday season. Money is tight, her husband (beautifully downplayed by nice-guy Gary Basaraba) lost his job, and the family must move out of their house. Ginny cannot even bring herself to say, 'Merry Christmas,' despite her family's enthusiasm about the big day. With help from Ginny's brave and loving daughter (sweetly performed by Elisabeth Harnois) and a Christmas angel named Gideon (Harry Dean Stanton), Ginny undergoes a life-altering experience à la It's a Wonderful Life. The result? Happy endings, hugs and kisses, pass the tissues.
Not a light holiday entertainer by any means, the plot verges on depressing at times, as the family struggles through money issues and the tedium of daily suburban survival. While handled fairly subtly, some of the bridging story--including a shooting, a kidnapping, and a drowning--might prove disturbing to children under 6 years old. And really: if the somber Harry Dean Stanton (Paris, Texas) repeatedly appeared in your neighborhood, cloaked in a cowboy hat and overcoat, would you allow your kids outside? Still, a well-made favorite to cherish. --Liane Thomas
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - One Magic Christmas
This has always been one of my favorite Christmas movies...a reminder of what is most important - the loved ones in our lives-- and how easy it is to get caught up in the miseries of the world - and forget the Magic.
Rating: - Don't Miss this Christmas Classic
This is a heartwarming tale heralded by the critics when originally released. This is a story of an over-worked Mom in a middle-class family that has lost the spirit of Christmas. An unlikely angel is sent to help her recapture the magic of Christmas. After many years I could no longer find it on television. I was thrilled when I found the DVD on Amazon!
Rating: - One Magic Christmas
I asm very pleased with the DVDI like Christmas movies and hope others will be available that are not available now!
Rating: - Putting the Magic Back in Christmas
My brother and sister and I used to watch this movie during Christmas Time when we were young. This year I bought each a dvd (and one for Mom and Dad too!). This is a heart-warming movie for the entire family--it makes me feel like a child again and all the magic of the holiday season comes back to life for me. Hope it does the same for you. Merry Christmas!
Rating: - All time favorite Christmas film
As a child, I grew up watching a VCR recorded TV presentation of this film every Christmas. I was thrilled to own the DVD since I no longer have that old recording. I have always loved the message the movie presents about finding the Christmas spirit, and that sometimes it's right in front of you even if you can't see it. It's moral is somewhat like that of "It's a Wonderful Life" however the story is different and takes a few turns that leave you breathless. It was filmed probably in the 80's ... Read More
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