Mrs. Worthington's Party

"Noelle" is a movie that is both wonderfully subtle and profound in the message it delivers. It is a Christmas movie, not because of the beautifully filmed winter landscape or the softly illuminated lighting, but because its' characters experience the true essence of Christmas: forgiveness.

The character development is slow and methodical, almost predictable at first. However, as the story progresses, the reserved tension between the two priests builds, forcing the true person within both characters to bubble to the surface, spilling out in an unexpected manner.

The movies music does a splendid job of capturing the loneliness many people feel at Christmas, and the main characters in Noelle are no different.

The story is not predictable in its' outcome from the outset, although an hour or so into it, the viewer gets a feeling it may twist in a certain direction because you almost want it to.

I felt great empathy for the character of Father Keane, because his job was the one no one would relish in doing. It is a thankless position that keeps him at arms length with the Church, the Almighty, and himself, creating an empty life within the shell of a "holy man".

If you are expecting gags and laughs to be dished out like Halloween candy like so many cheesy, box office hits, you will be disappointed. The real humor is in the dry wit and the naiveté of the characters that lay just below the surface throughout the movie. Save the fact that Father Keane does not know how to ride a scooter very well and takes some very predictable falls in the snow and ice, the real laughs will be within yourself as you begin to recognize members of your family, or even the person you see in the mirror, in how each character reacts to one another.

The movie has a serious message and is not for younger audiences because of the subject matter, but is tastefully done without explicit information being thrown in for dramatic effect.

I found Noelle heart-warming, well-done, and definitely a movie that will be on my Christmas watch list each year.

I agree with all of the positive things I've seen in the other comments. This is such a quality work. I wasn't 100% sold on the Father Simeon performance, but I still enjoyed him.

I didn't see it as anti-Catholic mainly because there are only two representatives of the church in the movie. They are clearly meant to represent two uncommon extremes. There is a business side to ministry and that can easily come off as cold or harsh, but this movie is about the character. He is cold and harsh. Those are the characteristics that lead him to the position he holds.

Besides, are we to believe that there are no men in the ministry such as these? Are we to believe that everything is so perfect in the church (any church) that there is no room for criticism? I agree that the movie could have been set in any denomination, but who has prettier sets than the Catholics? I can only accuse this movie of being honest.

I stumbled across this after watching "It's A Wonderful Life" on Prime. Came up as a recommendation. I'm a fan of Christmas films and Faith/Family film in general.

What a great film, depicting people of faith as they really are! Not a film for those who want to see a sugar coated version of the Christian life, but one that shows struggles faced by all people.

Hats off to David Wall for writing and directing such a compelling Film!

Who ever changed the title should have stuck with the original title, Mrs Worthington's Party. It's an unfortunate renaming because titlling it Noelle may be confused with the Disney movie Noelle with Shirley MacLaine. Having said that, the lead actor, David Wall, playing Father Keene, bares a stunning resemblance to a young Robert Redford; his hair, his front teeth, the jawline - and his acting ability! I'm surprised David Wall is not in more mainstream/famous movies - he exudes lead actor, and his acting is a joy to watch. Surprisingly, his Wikipedia page is sparse. Back to the movie, David Wall as Father Keene is the reason I stuck it out with this movie. There are a lot of likable and quirky characters, along with a love story, that fill and complete this movie. And the snowy location is charming. But David Wall is the stellar actor in this performance and makes this version of Noelle worth watching.

Once again after reading the all horrible reviews, i was compelled to write a review. Evidently the religious theme has sent some viewers into orbit. Believe it or not, pastors/priests are people too. They have feelings. They get angry. Sometimes they abuse alcohol. The key thing to take away is pastors are human. They're not godlike creatures that never commit any wrong. And questioning faith, showing all things good and bad to it isn't the horror some of the other reviews have made it out to be. If your faith can't stand up to the hard light of day aka a few questions, you have a more serious problem than a movie.

Onto Mrs. Worthington's Party.

I saw this on Tubitv and it was under the title Noelle and i must say i prefer Noelle much more. The movie starts out very cold, very much based in the everyday world with very little holiday spirit. A small church is under review and could possibly be closed by the end of the year if the auditor deems it necessary. This causes a flurry of activity and emotions, both in the community and the pastors.

I loved this movie. There was so much personal growth made in the characters. This wasn't your typical holiday movie and thank God for that. One can only see so many girl sees guy, hates guy, loves guy, gets guy, saves Christmas formulas until your brain rots. :)

Merry Christmas everyone.