Olivia makes a tremendous leap in her acting abilities following a rather "wooden" (pun intended) performance as a mannequin in yet another Christmas television movie, "A Mom for Christmas." This wonderful movie co-stars Gregory Harrison, whom she would also act with in the AIDS-drama "It's My Party," and also marks the acting debut of her daughter, Chloe Rose Lattanzi, whom, much later, would become an international singing sensation in her own right.
The film centers on a widowed mother of two young girls who is struggling to make ends meet in order to save the bank from foreclosing on her mountainside home. Bleak stuff for Christmas, huh? Then, along comes mean mister bank man, played by Gregory Harrison, who must give Olivia the bad news that the bank has taken over her house and she must move. All this fun on Christmas Eve...
Well, along comes a storm and forces Harrison to stay with Olivia & girls , and romance ensues, but not without some trials (including a dying lamb)... It really seems bleak, but it all works out in the end, and Olivia turns in her strongest role yet.
It is unbelievable that this movie has yet to be released on DVD - it was a top 10 favorite the year it was made, and has been re-run on television throughout the years since. Also, with Olivia's (and now Chloe's) popularity, the movie would surely be a strong seller. Repeated viewings have proved just how strong this film is, and it definitely ranks up there with the seasonal holiday classics that are re-run every year. It's a beautiful film.
