If You Believe

On a sunday morning when I should have been up an at it, I caught the start of this movie while still in bed. Now I've a lot of sympathy for Scrooge, but this little gem had me enthralled. I've never seen Ally's work before, but if she never does anything else again, she should be proud of this. I guarantee success if you bring this movie to the attention of your friends. It has many of the qualities that made 'groundhog day' so good.

I watched this movie by accident while flipping -- it caught me and wouldn't let go. Thought I knew in advance what was going to happen, but the plot twists kept me glued. I cried through most of the second half of it. Hayden Panettiere as the young version of the adult is terrific ... a female Jonathan Taylor Thomas sort of wiseass. 9/10

Susan, a book editor, has just been through a bitter divorce. Her work is suffering and her boss gives her a new client with some misgivings. More importantly, Susan has turned into a jaded soul who has alienated herself even from her immediate family in recent months. When she slips on the ice near Christmas, her "inner child" magically appears and becomes her constant companion. But, can the Susan-that-once-was make any changes in the life of Susan today?

This darling and heartwarming movie has so much to give to viewers. Ally Walker displays a wide range of emotions as the adult Susan while Hayden Panettiere, as the young Susan, is winning and joyful without a touch of hamminess. Tom Amandes shows up as the perfect potential love interest. Don't wait until the holidays to seek out this gem. Spread the glow of this film with your family tonight.

Although this is a familiar modernization of the Scrooge story, what really raises it far above the typical TV fare is Ally Walker's frequently touching performance. Her emotional range is proving to be quite broad and her performances are getting steadily better. Not to mention that she's among the loveliest of actresses.

OK, I'm a sucker for fairy tales with a happy ending, and, I like the understated, lively portrayals by the two lead actresses, especially Hayden Panetierre as...our unhappy heroine as a child. The "fairy godmother" as a ten-year-old with attitude - excellent.

Not Academy Award stuff, but definitely a movie I'll watch with a date next Christmas. I gave it a 9.