Too much of everything

hyped garbage

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

Other reviews praise the film, briefly, or are scathingly dismissive. If you know some gritty details of the story you can make up your own mind. PLOT SPOILER!! I think "A Christmas Tree Miracle" is simply lovely. (But I think the original "Miracle on 34th Street" is a BEAUTIFUL film that ought to be watched every Christmas.) "A Christmas Tree Miracle" is a film of redemption, and the rediscovery of clarity and fundamental values. Structurally, the script has a deeply satisfying succession of gentle, touching moments of tiny good-deed now and unexpected natural-consequence later. It is about how to make sense of bad things and survive, and do good in the world. First we see, in black-and-white, a family in a church pew. A child's voice-over explains her family has nothing, but she knows this is going to be their best Christmas ever. Then we cut to the earlier beginning, in color. The family is squabbling as they line up, reluctantly, and distractedly, to be professionally photographed for their family Christmas card: mother-organizer, father-busting-to-finalize-a-deal-on-his-cell-phone, high-school-son-eager-to-meet-up-with-his-girlfriend, high-school-daughter-endlessly-texting-her-friends. The 6-year-old daughter is the only one smiling, as she clutches her cello. (Later we hear the father, David George – memorably, "the man with two first names" – has been estranged from his father for years; the mother did little to help her sister cope with their own mother's decline into old age, …) Rushing to get their children to school, the mother, Julie George, forgets to bring tinned goods to the school's Christmas charity drive. Fortunately the little girl, Nina George, has brought a can of peas, and written a marker-pen-message: "You will have a Christmas miracle". Later, the George family hurries to the young girl's school concert. She is scheduled to play the old Shaker hymn, "Simple Gifts", but the daughter, Nina, sees the other members of her family paying her no attention at all. She quietly leaves the stage without playing a note. In the ladies' restroom, the mother, Julie, overhears sobbing in a cubicle. She tries to help the distressed woman the wife of an obnoxious local senator who is at the Christmas concert to smoodge potential voters – his endless campaigning and conceited self-preoccupation has brought his wife to tears. Julie consoles her. Shortly before Christmas, David (the dad) goes to work. He is suddenly fired! He is told the owner is at his wife's funeral. Clearing his desk, he signs a copy of his family-photo Christmas card for the company owner, saying, "Sorry for your loss". Then, in a coffee shop, David overhears a shop assistant hassling an old man – buy something or get out. Could the old man be living on the street? He explains, with a radiant smile, it is cold outside. He wanted to get warm for a few minutes, and think. "Thinking is free, isn't it?" David GIVES the old man the cup of coffee he has just received, and the old man stays. Confident that he will soon get another job, David and Julie act and spend as if nothing is wrong. On Christmas day, the older daughter, Natalie, hates the brightly colored jacket she had asked for. "Give it away!" she says in ill-temper! But David doesn't get a new job. The children leave their expensive private schools and go to public schools. At the school lockers, Nick sees two nasty boys picking on a weedy lad. He warns them that his dad is a policeman (he isn't). The bullies leave. The victim is thankful: the bullies were not just taunting, they smashed his cell phone – again! – the third phone smashed! Nick gives him his own cell phone: has no use for it, and he doesn't know why he still carries it, because it "has no service". The bank forecloses on their double-mortgaged mansion in the swanky suburb. With no money coming in, David, foolishly, prevents Julie from getting a tutoring job: her salary would be like using a water-pistol on a house fire. He stubbornly claims it is HIS responsibility to care for the family. When they can't pay the next week's rent at their cheap motel, where they have relied on charity food, they are suddenly evicted in the middle of the night. Desperate, they go to their local church, and fall asleep. So far, overall, the George family (except for cheerful, innocent little Nina) have all been generally unpleasant. Deserved, or not, watching their social and financial humiliations has been rather harrowing, so far. But this is where the story turns. For the good. Unexpectedly. There are many heart-warming twists. They are woken in the night by a strange old man who is delivering an early Christmas tree to the church. He remembers David as the kind man who gave him a cup of coffee, months ago. He shows them where the church has charity food and offers them to come to live with him, and help him with his unusual job. He owns a huge Christmas tree farm, where he GIVES trees to anyone that needs one – because, he explains, he wants to GIVE people Christmas! This is not the end. It is a CHANCE for a new beginning. (This is not "Les Miserables", or "Oliver Twist", or any other GREAT work of literature with a central theme of redemption. But it is as good as "A Christmas Carol", and "It's a Wonderful Life"!) Yes, it is predictable, sentimental, … But it is well made, well cast, well acted, and thoughtfully scripted. However far-fetched some of it may seem – a Christmas tree farm that GIVES away its trees!!! – NOTHING happens that could NOT logically happen. There is no magic. No angels. No Santa Claus. No wishes that miraculously come true. But there is a kind of miracle, and an abundance of the good will that you would hope for in a GREAT Christmas film. John Gough – Deakin University (retired) – jagough49@gmail.com

OK, firstly, it's obvious I could be perceived as biased, considering I'm in the film. But I'm also one of those "film" people; I wouldn't b.s. a product just to push myself. That being said, this movie does have it's mild, rather unnoticeable to the untrained eye, low budget flaws, but it is EVERYTHING A HOLIDAY FILM SHOULD BE!A Christmas Tree Miracle covers a lot of very real issues many of us face in the world today, that we may never really pay much attention to. From young love & ignorant apathy, to living beyond one's means, being ungrateful for your blessings, and true loss... It wraps it all up in a clear, simple, yet beautiful story that reminds viewers what the holiday season, and life in general, is truly about. It's only downfalls are with overall production: the extensive post production voice-overs take a little away from the performances at times, otherwise the acting is quite strong throughout. And the lighting & editing seem to lack well versed finish. That is why I, someone who is in the film, deducted 2 stars from it's total: I give it an 8/10. Regardless, the story, the feeling, still shines through like the lights on our trees.A Christmas Tree Miracle very well make any viewer tear up, at very least you will get some of those feel-good goosebumps while watching it. And I bet that if given the right push, watching it could become a holiday tradition for millions, year after miraculous year.

Amazon.com's favorite time of year is here....I mean Christmas is here. I say that kiddingly but in reality we as Americans have become a nation of consumers who need to constantly be buying stuff to make us happy. Think about it. Buying material things doesn't really make anyone happy for long term. Many people live far above their means. Many people work all the hours they can so that they can pay the never ending credit card bills for junk they can't even remember buying. OK, I'm off my soapbox."A Christmas Tree Miracle" is a heartwarming Christmas movie that touches on this very subject. It's a film about the George Family who live the "good life" as an upper class family in the suburbs. The husband, David, (Kevin Sizemore) has a great paying job but is preoccupied with work all the time. His wife Julie (Claudia Esposito) is stressed trying to constantly please everyone in the family and the two teenage kids Nick (Barrett Carnahan) and Natalie (Emily Capehart) are vile little creatures who want and expect to get whatever it is they think they need at any given moment with no thought as to how much things cost. There is also a very young daughter, Nina, (Siomha Kenney) who is the only one that has any appreciation for anything. A dysfunctional family for sure but probably more common than we would like to admit.The family is turned upside down when David loses his job. At first the entire family is in denial and continue to spend money at a ridiculous rate thinking a job is just around the corner. A year goes by and we see their savings and material things disappear until alas they become homeless. With nowhere to go a kindly Christmas tree farmer, Henry Banks, (played by Terry Kiser...best known for his portrayal as Bernie in the film Weekend at Bernie's) offers them shelter and jobs working on the farm. He decides to show them that it is the simple things in life that lead to true happiness. Will the family learn anything or will they just move on?I definitely liked "A Christmas Tree Miracle" a lot. It is a well written movie although I must say I got a bit confused as I watched the character arcs, particularly on the Dad and the two teenage kids go a bit crooked. What I mean by that is just when you think they have their change of heart they go and do another nasty deed. The film could have been shortened a bit by losing some of the repetition to reaffirm to the viewer how selfish the characters could be. Just a small thing but it did confuse me slightly. The only other small thing was the way the film was colored. It had a washed out look that I would expect to see in a crime drama and not the vibrant colors I would expect to see in a Christmas tale.With that said "A Christmas Tree Miracle" is a really festive and fun movie with a great lesson. The story was more involved than a standard Lifetime or Hallmark Channel movie, but it could certainly be run on either of those stations and fit right in. It is not a chick flick. Anyone could enjoy it. My wife loved it and she is a tough cookie when it comes to movies so bravo to the filmmakers on this one. Bottom line, anyone who enjoys heartwarming movies with substance in the storyline will love "A Christmas Tree Miracle".

My family really enjoyed this movie...It is a great story of faith, love and Christmas. It really makes you appreciated the important things in life and not to worry so much on the things that aren't. I think that the story line is one that a lot of families, especially families today, can relate to. I know that my family did. It is so easy these days to get consumed by work, friends and money...this movie helps remind the viewer that life is short and to see the joy in the small things.I really recommend this to anyone who loves Christmas movies and loves basically any feel good movie. It will now be a part of our family Christmas tradition!Great Job Kevin Sizemore!!