Shoelaces for Christmas

Despite the fact that the usually gorgeous Bailey Chase was in this one, I couldn't watch it to the end or for that matter more than fifteen minutes. The depressing direction in which it was going, with what was going to be a very moral message I'm sure, was not the way I wanted to go today and I don't generally like being made miserable at the best of times.

Sadly, the close ups and unfiltered Bailey did not do him justice either. They must have spent the make-up budget on the evil and plastic teenagers.

I can't score it, because I didn't finish it.

The film had much too quick of an arc for the main character, and the chemotherapy of the mom is hardly presented realistically, but other than that some nice things. I love love love love the opening. Nice images. Beautiful images. This is a nice family movie with some very nice messages. The spirit is extremely strong.

Like with most movies the arc of the main character was too good to be true and happened much too quickly. Two visits to the homeless shelter and she is suddenly cured of her selfishness. I would have been more realistic to have the movie begin at the end of the previous school year and have a montage show her work at the homeless shelter over the course of the summer. I also thought that it was unrealistic that her dad was expecting her to work every day at the homeless shelter, help with housework, and do her regular school work and activities. It is why it would have made more sense to show Jennifer putting her whole heart into the homeless shelter over the summer and not have it possibly be affecting her school work. It is also hard to imagine a character that has been so "clueless" of her mother's illness. However, when my mom was ill with cancer and undergoing chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation I was pretty inattentive. Unlike me however the character does come around - albeit unrealistically.

Hair and makeup people - how does the mom who has just completed chemotherapy have obviously. long hair???!! Granted, some lucky few don't lose their hair - but if that is the case then why is the mom wearing a hat - the kind of hat that many use during and after chemo to cover a hairless scalp or hair just beginning to grow back scalp???!!! You did do a fair job of making her look pale. If you were going for true realism eyebrows and eyelashes would be also lacking. Film wise that is understandable, but please if she has just had chemo then HIDE the actress's hair under the cap rather than showing half of it!!!!

The movie has a strong spirit and makes you feel good. I loved Yolanda Stanger in the role of the homeless shelter director. The movie made me want to be best friends with both the character and the actress. I'm curious though why that in her other films that she is listed as Yolanda Wood. I could tell that she looked familiar and had to look for her. Ivey Lloyd Mitchell does an amazing job as Charlotte the mother of the young homeless girl, and her I assume real daughter Summer does very well in the role of the young girl Chloe. Ivey has done precious little film since her amazing job as a young teen portraying Bonnie in the 1993 family film "Rigoletto." I hope that we will now see more of her.

If you want a feel good Christmas movie with the romance only as a sub theme and service as the main theme - although somewhat unrealistic - please don't miss this film!

It's an uplifting Christmas movie, with establishing shots in Salt Lake City. I highly recommend it!

Good message. Unfortunately those who are probably in the greatest need of seeing something like this wouldn't be watching it anyway unless it was a movie reward night at a boot camp for brats in Utah's boondocks.

And then.... Whoever did makeup and continuity of story line was devastatingly clueless about the ravages of chemo. The hair, the complexion--the father figure looked as though HE was the one dealing with cancer. Utterly dreadful inattention to detail insofar as makeup.

In terms of the daughter's selfish/narcissistic traits, it would be easy to cover up illnesses when texting seems to be the preferred manner of family communication, even if the person is in the next room or at the opposite end of the sofa.

The message? Serve others. Empty ourselves of self, give something from the heart to/with others, and the importance of sharing regardless of the season. The novel and its cinematic realization is weak in many areas, but the sentiment rises above the mediocrity and how it is presented.

This is one of those feel good movies that's a tear-jerker and plays with your emotions. Expect to be moved.

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