The Gift of Peace

What can you say about a movie that touches your heart & soul? Both @Nikki DeLoach & Brennan Elliott flexed their acting muscles as well as their inner emotions to bring a story of a church grief support experiencing varying stages of grief. Both were exemplary, but it was Brennan Elliott's character, Michael, the leader of the support group who gave an award deserving performance as someone who has masked his grief, whether through denial or pain, and instead puts on a brave front to assist the other group members. Both he & Nikki DeLoach, as well as the supporting cast showed the struggles of pain, anger, denial, and remorse while going through the grief process with the thread of their Christian faith sustaining their journey. This was a welcome departure from the usual formulaic rom-com Christmas Hallmark movies. Most of us have experienced some form of grief in our lives. The Gift of Peace might be the best produced & acted Hallmark movie I've ever seen. Have your tissues handy and find the faith, joy, and hope this movie offers during a season that can be difficult for many who have suffered a loss in their life.

In a year when TV viewers are submerged in a sea of mostly insipid and uninspired Christmas movies, Hallmark has the courage to produce a story with real emotions and Christian values. Frankly, I am fed up with silly contests, childish antagonisms, and heroines that are passionately kissing a new love just a couple of days after breaking up with a boyfriend. Here we have people with honest feelings of grief, after a loss, who find closure and new hope through friendship, caring for others , and faith. The characters feel real, with true human dimensions and the sentiments are expressed with measure, which conveys their relevance with subtlety, yet poignancy. Nikki Deloach is wonderful in her role and Brennan Elliott shines, as well. Actually all actors provide very credible performances, probably a reflection of a solid script and wise direction. The movie leaves you with more than just holiday mirth. It leaves you reflecting on realistic and deeper human values. I must confess I am not a churchgoer. Yet, I can only admire the strength and kindness of this story. After all, this is what Christmas is supposed to be about.

This is a film with a message about grief, loss and faith. There is a heavy Christian message, so forewarned if that message will bother you.

It tells the story of a painter named Traci who's husband passed away two years prior. Not only was he her husband but her painting partner as well. As her father said, they complemented each other. Traci, her family and friends all had faith and prayed for her husband's brain surgery to be successful. When it wasn't, Traci became angry, stopped praying, stopped going to church and almost gave up on her painting career.

Traci's friend and manager advises her to attend her church's support group. The support group is small and consists of the leader, an elderly woman who lost her husband who was the Santa Claus to her Mrs. Claus, a younger woman whose mom and fellow choir member passed, and a young man whose grandmother passed leaving him her baking business which didn't go well with his family.

This is all about having a safe space to talk or not talk...but most importantly to know what you are feeling is ok. What a wonderful message. I cried and cried, but it was good.

I recommend this to anyone who has experienced loss. It was quite lovely.

The true Hallmark has returned with this one!! Finally a heart warming family oriented Christmas movie about faith, hope and dreams. A real life story of life, how to deal with life after losing someone in your life. Nikki has out done herself in her performance, last year was "Five Minutes More" and now "Gift of Peace"! Nice to see how 5 grieving people open up and move on with life. As a Christian it's nice to see Hallmark the true meaning of the holidays to life. Bringing God into real life movies with prayer and dreams makes this a heart warming movie. Thank you Nikki and Hallmark for this wonderful gift!!

This is the first time I've ever felt a Hallmark film deserved a 10 rating! Having lost our spouses 20 years ago and meeting at a bereavment group, both myself and my wife had tears in our eyes throughout this film. The story was so familiar to both of us. Trying to overcome the loss of someone you thought you'd spend the rest of your life with was devestating. Going to the meetings with others we could identify with was very helpful since neither family or close friends could. We both were leary at first to open up at the meetings, just as Nikki's character was. Then when she was in a situation with Brendan's character where they were actually having fun, she had these guilt feelings. My wife and I could identify with these exact feelings.

Finally, in the end they both realize, as our priest told us, life is for the living. This movie hit every nerve in our bodies and made us remember all those feelings we had of never being able to move on, Yet somehow, we found each other and have enjoyed a wonderful life together. This was the best Hallmark film.