Great Film overall

Fresh and Exciting

Better Late Then Never

Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

BEWARE OF BOGUS REVIEWS. SOME REVIEWERS HAVE ONLY ONE REVIEW. WHEN ITS A POSITIVE REVIEW THAT TELLS ME THEY WERE INVOLVED WITH THE PRODUCTION. IF ITS A NEGATIVE REVIEW THEN THEY MIGHT HAVE A GRUDGE AGAINST THAT PRODUCTION. NOW I HAVE REVIEWED OVER 200 Christmas MOVIES. I HAVE NO AGENDA. I AM FARE ABOUT THESE FILMS.This film is not a love it or hate it film. What this film is passable entertainment with a lesson about?? In this film Christmas has always been an exceptional time of love and tradition in the small town of Trapper Falls, Alaska. Hometown of Mayor Dan Reed (Ted McGinley) looks forward to each year with enthusiasm. Together with his brother Greg (Brad Stine), they dedicate time away from their adventure tour company to drape the town is Christmas cheer. When Dan's old high school rival Mitch Bright (Daniel Baldwin), a mean-spirited and embittered militant atheist returns home after 20 years, Dan is immediately suspicious. Mitch is a highly successful big city lawyer who has never wanted anything to do with Trapper Falls. The rivalry re-ignites when the frustrated Mitch takes offense to what he sees as the town's violation of his rights. Mitch wants the Nativity scene removed from the front of City hall and the word Christmas switched to Happy Holidays on all signs. Fifty years of tradition are now challenged not by an outsider but a former member of the community. As the conflict escalates it goes beyond one person's opinion but magnifies into an entire town problem when Mitch enters into the mayoral race to have Dan replaced.Now I am very liberal. I liked this film. Its not great but it is sweet. The motivations of everyone in this film is understandable. Now people who made this film had an agenda to say that there is a war on Christmas which is not true. "Retailers Love Christmas". I worked all over the USA and have always said "Merry Christmas" and nobody said "I shouldn't" and no customer ever complained. Now my Christians readers would you get mad if a Jewish Person said to you "Happy Hanukkah"? I doubt it. Normal people would say "Thank you" or "Same to you". Happy Holidays came about only because it was cheaper for stores to have a window painted with just one message and no re-paint for Hanukkah. That's all. When I worked at stores I never got in trouble for saying "Merry Christmas". Now back to the film. AS film the plot is passable. the film moved quickly along. The film has a conclusion that I find almost laughable but the message isn't laughable. Small Children will be bored. Some adults too. But what comes through is that "Christmas is a time where we should open our minds and our hearts"

Finally a "safe" movie that all ages can enjoy including preschoolers without rude, disrespectful or unattractive behaviors displayed. Beautiful scenes of Alaska. Nice small town dilemma where the real meaning of Christmas is debated and resolved. Did not find it offensive but if you are die hard anti-religion (especially Christianity) in the public realm, you may find it may open your mind. If you are a Christian or sympathetic to the spirit of Christmas, you should find it enjoyable. Nice brotherhood, father/son, and mother/daughter relationships developed. Overall, believable acting and story. Enjoyable film.

Don't watch it, it's sh*t.The good guys are from small-town America, simply trying to celebrate Christmas in the same unconstitutional (so it seems) way that they have done for many a year when evil corporate lawyer sleazes into town. He immediately sets out to spoil Christmas for everyone and steal it for himself .... oh no that was the Grinch wasn't it. Needless to say he is just as bad, old man Potter in a nice suit, ready to do anything (including calling the police on little girls) to get his own way. Muuhhuu haw. Hmm, self-indulgent, preaching, terrible characters (Mr Baldwin might as well be twisting his moustaches and tying virgins to train tracks he is painted so obviously as the villain). This is one out of the bottom drawer. IMDb should allow for zero or negatives on the rating system.

I'm an atheist and I loved this move, if you're surprised to read that, well you're not half as surprised as I was. I watched this film for one reason, and one reason only, I wanted to laugh at what I imagined would be a film so bad it was good. That's not what happened though, instead of caricatures of good Christians being beset by evil Atheists, what we got was a film biased in favour of the Christian viewpoint but also one which was careful to make sure that every character was shown as a real human being. It was heartwarming to watch a group of people struggle to overcome their differences and find some resolution to the problems they faced. There was no cop out ending, sure, "lessons were learned" in that hokey way you often see in TV movies but so what, sometimes we need a little hokeyness in our lives. This is a lovely movie to watch at Christmas, or the Holiday Season if you prefer. Whether you're a believer or an unbeliever, set aside your prejudices (we all have them) and enjoy a great movie.