The Man Who Saved Christmas

I taped this movie when it first came out and have watched it every year since. I was about to put it in tonight while wrapping gifts and realized, the tape is wearing out and just ordered it on DVD. It should be a yearly classic.

I'm not a fan of Jason Alexander, from Seinfeld but I have to give him credit. He did very well in this movie, I was so surprised. This is a true story.

It is a very well thought out movie, it has heart and I highly recommend it. watch it with an open mind.

Kelly Rowan and Ed Asner did very well.

After his latest series bombed and he was reduced to doing Kentucky Fried Chicken commercials, Jason Alexander makes a refreshing return to TV in this true story based on the life of toy inventor A.C. Gilbert, who created the now-famous Erector Set. During World War I, Gilbert was persuaded to have his factory staff produce weapons and ammo for American troops fighting overseas instead of toys. The decision caused him to forget about the true meaning of the holidays and neglect his wife and son. With their persuasion, however, and his older brother missing in action in Europe, Gilbert and his staff decided to start marketing toys again and took their decision all the way to the Supreme Court.

Alexander gives a wonderful performance, and Ed Asner does a remarkable job playing Gilbert's father, who also tends to have a Scooge-like attitude during Christmas but is finally rejuvenated at the end of the movie, when his presumed-dead son returns home from Europe after the end of the war.

In the early 1900's, A.C. Gilbert (Jason Alexander) is the son of a wealthy businessman, Charles (Ed Asner). Although the younger Mr. Gilbert went to medical school, he has never gone into practice. Instead, A.C. invented the Erector Set and is trying to get it onto the toy shelves of the country. Helping him is his younger brother, Frank (Ari Cohen) and offering strong support is his wife, Mary (Kelly Rowan). This is in opposition to Charles' views, for he thinks the venture is certain to fail. After celebrating the birth of his son, A.C. finds creative ways to market the toy and does become successful. Flash forward seven years. Now, A.C.'s factory is humming along and he offers daycare to his workers, along with other benefits. But, alas, The Great War has broken out and the Gilberts placid life is about to change. First, Frank is drafted and the whole family prays for his return. Then, A.C. is startled to be summoned to the White House, where top officials ask him to convert the toy factory into a weapons manufacturing company for the duration of the war. "No" is really not an option, for fear of being labeled unpatriotic so the switch is made. After another passage of time, the war is still raging and Frank is missing in action. Now, government officials ask A.C. to be their spokesman for a campaign to avoid "toy giving" for the coming holidays and buy war bonds instead. With a young son himself, who looks forward to Christmas like any other child, what will A.C. do this time? This is quite a lovely film for the family, although very young children would find it harder to appreciate. The story is a heart-grabbing, character-building winner, based on actual events and people. The cast is very fine, with Alexander doing a wonderful job in the primary role and Rowan, Asner, Cohen, and all of the others complimenting him nicely. Also, the sets, costumes, photography, script and direction are quite admirable as well. I bought his lovely film in a "one dollar" bargain bin and it included a musical CD of Christmas songs. So, yes, the price was right but this is a film to savor, worth much more than a buck. Lucky me and anyone who sits down for a view.

It's Christmas time once again and amid the anti-Christmas media coverage, I happened onto this film. What a pleasant and refreshing surprise! This is a story to warm the hearts of those in my generation who long for the days when everyone said, "Merry Christmas!" and people were proud of their country. The best part of this film is knowing that the film is based on a real person's life: A.C. Gilbert. The Scrooge-type figure of A.C.'s father, played by Asner, is believable and helps make this story enjoyable. Thanks for the memories of the days when Christmas was important, patriotism was shared, and no one thought about political correctness.

I caught The Man Who Saved Christmas in the wee hours of this Christmas on Book Television, and I have got to say, it become a favorite of mine. I am planning on ordering the DVD and adding it to my collection of my other holiday classics.

Outside of his voice acting in the "Aladdin" series and sequels, I've never been a big fan of Jason Alexander's work. That was, however, before I saw this movie. His performance as A. C. Gilbert was believable and touching, as was the other aspects of the movie.

While "The Man Who Saved Christmas" is a Christmas movie, it is one that I believe can be viewed at any time of the year. It gives one hope during a difficult time.