A Hobo's Christmas

A hobo left home (and his son) 25 years ago. His son is hoping for another 25 years.

This is the story of a family that gets along pretty well, father, son and daughter. Also, dad is trying to zero in on his one-year girlfriend, but she knows that he is not ready to emote enough to be marriage material.

Dad's father shows up to have a reunion. Dad blows him off. Dad's girlfriend pounds him for it. Dad decides to allow his father to spend a day meeting and getting to know his grandchildren.

This turns into a visit for several days, until Christmas. Then grandpa will go off with his hobo friends until the next visit.

Finally the son and daughter get to have another relative; grandpa tells stories of the road. Then they meet his hobo friends.

A good Christmas story.

I taped this movie and watch it every December. Maybe it's more appreciated by older viewers who recall real hobos and trains, I'm

not sure. I do know a couple of younger people in 30s who also liked the movie. Estrangement between a parent and adult child is fairly common today, and Hobo's Christmas is a good example of how time and

circumstances can change people. The kids being raised by only dad after their mother died, are as normal and cute as kids can be. They are the most open and accepting of a newly found grandpa. His hobo buddies not only provide some humor but also give a glimpse into the hard lives of true "gentlemen of the road" and free spirits of another era.

ALL the actors were believable and charming. I admit to having lived in Salt Lake City, where it was filmed, for a couple of years so that may influence my annual enjoyment of the film. After writing this, I'm ordering a professional VHS copy for a friend.

This interesting teleplay touches on some serious reconciliation issues. Production values are above average for its genre, writing, direction, performances, editing, cinematography and music. The participation of the always reliable Barnard Hughes was my reason for watching this, and a good decision it was. Other performances also come across as well cast and quite well realized.

It might not be a movie for all tastes but anyone who enjoys looking back at how families can drift apart and their efforts at reconciliation should find something to appreciate. While certain aspects may seem a little romanticized for some seasoned cynics - Thankfully, unlike a Spielberg production, the adult characters' ring true, and the children are likable (for a change). The late William Hickey (The Name of the Rose '86) as Cincinnati Harold is always a curious watch.

Hearst Entertainment has given us a different kind of Christmas story to admire, for those who care.

Dare I say...Merry Christmas! It's now also avaiable on DVD.

You know, I've had this as part of a box set of Christmas flicks for quite a few years, and when I found out the plot, I was pretty pumped for it. This film really let my fiancé and I down. It's not really special, even though I'll agree that it has one REALLY touching moment that brought us both to tears.

Every person in this film is awful. Every single one. Not the actors-just the characters themselves. Selfishness abounds, and mercilessness is everyone's motivation. Everyone constantly wants to argue and then avoid more argumentation by just up and leaving everything behind.

This does not make for a good Christmastime movie experience, whatsoever. I surely wouldn't let my kids (if I were ever blessed with any) watch this pitiful movie. There's nothing honestly happy about it, even though I think both the grandpa hobo and the father/main character have some pretty solid moments for their respective performances. They both try hard with what they're given, but there's just not much to work with, when it comes to the script with this flick.

I wouldn't even say this is sweet, at all. It all feels so exhaustive, by the end, to the point that I kind of don't want to watch this ever again. It's certainly not memorable.

I'm not someone who easily embraces Christmas. What I do like are simple, eloquent tales of folks reuniting or connecting at Christmas, examining their lives and making small adjustments. This is a compact little story of a painful past and an attempt at resolution. I found myself choking up here and there as the tale progressed, enjoying wise children, the camaraderie of people of the road and overall, the somewhat washed out images of Salt Lake City. There are plenty of sappy Christmas movies trying desperately to become instant classics. I think this might be a true contender. I enjoyed its message. I won't say what that message is but I suspect most will get it.