The Christmas Wife

A muted film for the mature. Not a "pretty" film, nor is it sugar-coated with a "Hollywood" ending. Instead, to get the most out of this film, one must have lived, suffered, and know deep loss. Somehow, out of this accumulated life experience, the mature viewer comes away nodding at the film's many truths. My wife and I nodded in agreement and understanding with the characters' well-crafted lines, awkward silences, and moments of discovery. We loved "The Christmas Wife." And yet we can understand those who did not enjoy this film. Perhaps they were looking to be entertained rather than to be challenged or reminded that life can be full of surprises, no matter how old one becomes. There was an air of genuine pathos as the film began, yet, at the end, one came away amused, stimulated, and wondering what the protagonist would encounter as he moved on in life after loss.