Kallie thinks she's cursed by Christmas. For the past 5 years, something bad has happened every Christmas season. One day she finds THE SANTA BOX on her doorstep. Inside is a note that changes how Kallie feels about Christmas forever.
Where do I start? Probably the Story. The story is great. It's a fairy tale type story about a girl, Kallie ( Cami Carver) who has suffered loss so dislikes christmas, a girl who bullies others to feel better, an old man who's war experience left him wanting to be nice to everyone, and a collection of sad people who's lives were blighted in one way or another. There's even an evil witch in the shape of Nelly Green (Cindy Perez). Through the story the old man, Otto (Shawn Stevens) enables Kallie to bring every single person in the story together to be friends, and they all live happily ever after. I wish I had been able to read this story, it's a lovely one.
However this is a film and the reality is awful. The acting is B movie grade. Nelly Green is played by a surgically enhanced actress who I honestly thought was made to look like she does for artistic licence and she would look much nicer at the end. There's not a single strong performance from any member of the cast, so that brings the story down. Also, it tries too hard to bang home the morals of happiness, forgiveness, loving others no matter how they harm you etc etc. Lovely ideals but not ones that humans are capable of keeping forever. Yet there are so many speeches, with rising music as if the very voice of God was being heard, encouraging everyone to be good and wonderful. But the speeches keep coming til you get to the point of fast forwarding til you get to the next one.
As I say it is a lovely story, it would have worked as an animation, but with poor actors and poor direction and poor editing, it feel completely flat as a film. I gave it a 3 for the story alone, but I would like to see an animated version which might be better.
