November Christmas

I watched this because I was looking for some hope and to get into the Christmas spirit.

The story was absolutely heartwarming and uplifting. The casting was on point. I do feel the ending was a little rushed and wish the movie had been longer, but I still loved it.

It's Hallmark, but not a romance story. Instead it's a story about a little girl with cancer. It's about her story and her family's story and about a nearby farmer who reaches out to support the struggling family. It's a story about what some extra effort from friends and neighbors can do to ease the road for a family who has "been dealt a bad hand" as Jess tells Tom.

The elements are there that make it hard not to have a story that brings tears to your eyes. The acting and direction do what's needed to make this happen.

The ending is kind of abrupt. It's plenty teary, but makes a leap that left some things not quite complete. For example, I would have loved to know more about the waitress/writer. Also, it wasn't much of a surprise, but I wouldn't have had the result any other way.

The movie is adapted from a short story and the story in the movie is a little thin because much of the screen time is spent developing characters' feelings and relationships rather than plot twists and other devices.

This is a superb film for the Christmas season. But, unless one usually has a supply of tissue on hand for this time of year, it is wise to be prepared before sitting down to watch "November Christmas." This is definitely a full box tissue movie for the ladies, and a hankie soaker for most men.

The movie goes at a very slow pace, but that's dictated by the story circumstances. Vanessa Marks is an 8-year-old girl who is being treated for cancer. And, some of the people in the rural New England town her family has moved to are hurting from their pasts. Nearly every scene is packed with emotion. I won't say more about the plot, but note that there are several smaller stories built into this one movie. And, it's done superbly.

Families that have experienced childhood or adult illnesses, especially, know the difficulties, the daily struggles, and the sadness. And, hopefully, most who have, also will have known the closeness, comfort and love that brings families and people together. My thanks to Greg Coppa, whose short story this film was based on. It shows how a child's cancer can bring out the best in people. And how it can lead to restoring friendships, healing personal hurts from similar losses, and neighborly caring and love.

The cast all are excellent in their performances. Especially worth noting is Emily Alyn Lind who plays Vanessa. Hallmark came up with a very different plot that makes this one of its "very best" Christmas movies of recent decades. It was filmed in Nova Scotia.

Here are some favorite lines from this film.

Claire Sanford, "Some women get diamonds. You shower me with pumpkins." Jess Sanford, "Got a bit carried away."

Jess Sanford, "I don't think anybody really knows if they're good at anything until they try it."

I did miss the beginning of this movie but quickly found myself involved in it fully. This movie made me long for a time when you knew your neighbours and could count on them when you needed them. The neighbours in this movie go above and beyond with their wonderful surprises to make a little girl happy. I say get yourself a hot chocolate, a nice warm fuzzy blanket and a box of tissues for all those tender moments! This movie was well directed and the actors truly brought the characters to life. The scenery was also quite beautiful, I believe it was filmed in Nova Scotia. The Christmas Tree farm is especially beautiful! Just when I finished having a tearful moment over an act of kindness, they would come up with another one. If more movies were made like this I would honestly enjoy watching TV more. November Christmas is totally a family movie, no need to worry about foul language, nudity or violence. I would definitely recommend this movie and look forward to seeing it again.

We only recently stumbled across this 12 year-old film (as I type) and only then because I noticed Sam Elliot is in it.

A little girl has leukemia and may not make it until Christmas, so her father arranges to move up all the holidays to try to squeeze them in before the worst might happen.

It's no spoiler to reveal that the little girl recovers, because the movie leads with her as an adult, and the whole movie is a flashback into a book she wrote about her childhood.

Sam Elliot's character runs a nearby farm, and he had also lost a child. When he gets wind of what's happening, he helps. Eventually, the entire town helps. The movie is warm and moving, and immediately when into our favorites list for the holiday season.