A Grandpa for Christmas

Saccharine TV movie has a bristly old coot (Borgnine) taking in his young granddaughter whom he never knew existed. Her mother -- his estranged daughter -- has had a car accident and been hospitalized. Tracy Nelsomn has the thankless role of the daughter, who spends most of the movie laid up in a hospital bed. The granddaughter quickly grows on the old man. There's more to the plot, which centers on the granddaughter singing in her school's holiday pageant, but it's not the plot that counts here. It's Borgnine's bravura performance, ably aided by a supporting cast of veterans including Jamie Farr, Richard Libertini and Katherine Helmond. Juliette Goglia is the winsome granddaughter who belts out several tunes like she's doing a road show tour of ANNIE. A little of this goes a long way, if you get my drift.

At the age of 90, Ernest Borgnine turns in a wonderful performance as a grandfather discovering that he has a granddaughter. Problem is that he has been estranged from his daughter for many years. The daughter sided with her mother in a messy breakup between her parents. It is only after the daughter becomes injured in an accident that the grandfather takes temporary custody of his grandchild.

Even the granddaughter has been brainwashed into thinking that grandpa is an ogre. That all changes when Borgnine shows tender loving care and takes charge in her life.

It's a wonderful story again emphasizing strong family traditions. It is most appropriate for the holiday season.

A sweet story to watch while sitting in the glow of a Christmas tree, and sipping some hot chocolate.

The cast are wonderful. Ernest Borgnine plays a senior named Bert who learns his long-estranged daughter was involved in a car accident, and he is the only relative of a granddaughter he didn't even know existed. Now the lonely old guy, used to playing chess in the park with his friend, or hanging out and reminiscing with his group of former movie folks at a local cafe, is asked to take the child in while his daughter recovers from her severe injuries.

Juliette Goglia, as Becca, Bert's granddaughter, is a gem. She and Borgnine play off each other very well, trading playful barbs right and left, and their growing affection is showcased sweetly. Goglia's portrayal of an awkward tween, who brightens with the encouragement of Bert, is really well done. There are themes throughout the story of bonding, forgiveness, understanding, healing, and other issues families deal with. Look for Kris Nelson, Jamie Farr, and some other familiar faces in the cast; an appealing group who all do well in their roles, and looked to be enjoying working together and having fun making the film. Nice Christmas traditions are incorporated into the film in wonderful ways, even things as simple as tree-trimming and a Christmas Eve pageant. Goglia has a wonderful singing voice, by the way.

This was a pleasant Christmas treat, with a very touching and uplifting sentimentality.

This Christmas time movie is one of the BEST! Out of the over 80 holiday movies I've seen, this is in my top 4. I am so glad to see other viewer's comments on this 2007 released movie. Kudos to this entire cast. I've now seen it twice and each time I like it even more and shed a few more tears. Ernest Borgnine, I didn't know how old he was. It doesn't matter. You are just in love with his character and the beauty and warmth of such an individual. What a beautiful spirit and a life lesson. Even though he didn't have his daughter or granddaughter in his life, he was still a joyous, positive, loving person. He did the best he could with his life and his friends speak volumes for his character. And in the end it pays off. But I love the theme of "no regrets". He lives beyond the hurt, beyond the loss. This is probably my favorite Christmas time movie. And, again, the casting was PERFECT!!!

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