An absolute waste of money

A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

While I admit to being a sucker for just about any corny Christmas movie, this one is far above the norm as one can tell just from the cast list. Laura Dern, Lynn Redgrave, Cathy Baker, and Carla Gugino are all well respected lead actresses for good reason, and here some of them play quite small roles, though it's the quality of the supporting cast that makes this film far better than most. Patty Dukes as the angel is probably the corniest element, but one has to accept a bit of corn in a holiday movie, and she handles the role as well as anyone could. As other reviewers here have said, the dialog is quite good, and the performances by the children, especially the always-strong Mae Whitman, are engaging without ever becoming too cute. Definitely worth a watch.

A Season For Miracles finds Carla Gugino badly in need of one. She's the aunt of Mae Whitman and Evan Sabara and their mother Laura Dern is her usual mess. In jail once again for some substance abuse misdemeanor and now the state is ready to take the kids from her. Carla would like to have them, but as she's unemployed ain't no way she'll be granted custody. Most likely the kids will be split up in the foster care system.That's not good enough for Gugino. She takes the kids out of state and flees. Arriving at a version of Bedford Falls, a kindly waitress played by Patty Duke has a way of insisting that the whole family stop and see this very well kept up, but abandoned home in her town of Bethlehem. They stop and they squat.It's only supposed to be for a night, but things just somehow keep them there especially all the good folks in the town. The house was a legacy that was never claimed by its inheritor for one reason or another. But with the state breathing down her neck and the fact she's a fugitive wanted on kidnapping, Carla's got to make tracks.But as things turn out in this Christmas time special, it turns out to be a real Season For Miracles. Carla even gets herself some romance in the form of deputy sheriff David Conrad.A Season For Miracles is sentimental without being terribly maudlin which is easy to do with these kind of films. Is someone from a higher plain of existence keeping some track of our situations and ready to step in with a miracle, if not one that's as spectacular as parting an ocean? This film offers the proposition that such is the case and it does so in a pleasant and entertaining manner.

Christmas fantasy about a down on her luck woman (Gugino) who kidnaps her crackhead sister's two small children to keep them out of the hands of DCF. She ends up in a small New England town where a guardian angel (Duke) sets up a series of simple events to protect the trio from harm. David Conrad plays a cop who falls for Gugino, and Lynn Redgrave is the judge who must determine the fate of the three when their secret is found out. Very low-key, with no fancy special effects. Filmed on limited sets, with an imposing stone angel statue hovering over all. This is a people story that doesn't pull any punches when it comes to dealing with the unpleasantries of the doped-up mom (Dern), who is is a criminal hospital while all this is going on. Great direction by Michael Pressman on what looks like a no-budget production. Highly recommended.

Emily's sister is out of control. A drug abuser and a resulting neglectful mother at times, she almost overdoses and ends up in the slammer. Emily has a good relationship with her sister's two children and is there to take care of them. However, she is between jobs and has no place to stay in Providence. The child welfare case worker wants, therefore, to take the children away from Emily. Alanna and J.T., the kids, are already traumatized by the whole situation to the point where J.T. will not utter a word. Emily makes a decision to escape with the children to another venue. On the way to nowhere, her car breaks down in the small city of Bethlehem. There, she and the children are treated with uncommon kindness, partly because of a case of mistaken identity. However, the city truly is capable of performing miracles. Will Emily and the children finally have a rewarding life all around? This wonderful film is a must for the holiday or any season. The actors are appealing, the script is beautiful, and all of the extras that make for superior film-making are present. A romance is always welcome and this one is, but the movie's attractions go far beyond that. If only Hollywood would make this kind of film at times! However, Hallmark is dedicated to giving us these incredible cinematic gifts and this one is one of the loveliest. Seek this one out without delay. As a companion to Miracle on 34th Street, this "Miracle" movie is topnotch.