This movie was, obviously, planned with great ambitions and its theme is perfect for Christmas. Addy, played by Lyndsy Fonseca, has lost proper balance in her life, focusing on material goals, and forgotten her Christmas spirit. Back to her hometown, once the epitome of Christmas yuletide, she finds her family and friends struggling with real life constraints that mar the seasonal joy. She wishes a life without Christmas and wakes up in a black and white world. The story leads us to understand that only finding real joy and love can bring (back) color to a drab life. In this production, the huge metaphor is carried far, perhaps too far. Situations are somewhat overblown and characters feel stereotyped, a bit empty. The love connection of Andy with the somber town mechanic, played by Michael Rady, is poorly developed and unconvincing, with minimal chemistry between the two. Essentially, the movie fails in the attempt to create the magic that could have resulted from the premises, with a more insightful script.
The wonderful metaphor of gray vs color life could have been a winning point, if it had not been stolen, and not so well played, from the successful 1998 movie 'Pleasantville'. In summary, I feel this film is watchable, family-friendly, great on intent, yet weakened by a less than inspired execution. Accepted that real sentiments and emotions provide color to our life, where are the colors in this movie?
