Movies-TV

One of the Best

Since the ghost of Christmas future showed Scrooge what would happen to him if he didn't change his ways, a host of stories have used the "alternate future" or "alternate reality" ploy to help their protagonist feel different about Christmas and life in general. Not since "It's a Wonderful Life" has such a story been told this well with such a brilliant cast.

No, it's not the same plot. This movie involves a family who is facing financial and emotional crisis when a "cowboy angel" played perfectly by Harry Dean Stanton intervenes to help the mother, (Steenburgen) see it all from a better perspective.


My family was very glad when the DVD because available, because our VHS copy had been played to death.


Several folks have complained that it gets very "dark" in the middle, possibly too dark for very small children. It frankly isn't any worse than most of what is shown on Network television between 8:00 and 9:00 in the evening in the so-called "family viewing hour." But you be the judge; just know it's not "Mickey Mouse."

To me the really harrowing parts have to do with the financial and social squeeze that the family is in. If you've never "been there," you may not "get" this movie or understand why Steenburgen's character is so battle-weary from the start. But the payoff is worth waiting for. One of Steenburgen's best movies, and that's saying something.

Hope you get a chance to see it this Christmas season.


Paul Race, editor, Family Christmas Online (tm)

A true Christmas classic worth watching.

"One Magic Christmas" is a wonderful film for the entire family to watch during the holiday season. Its very dramatic for a Disney family film, but comes out with a happy ending. Mary Steenburgen plays a mom who has completely lost the whole Christmas spirit in her. It takes the help of her six year old daughter along with a guardian angel and Santa Claus to change her mind about Christmas. Great moments in this film portray a slight realistic approach about a family trying to cope with what they can spend on Christmas gifts. As said earlier, this movie also comes with some very dramatic moments in it. Get this film for the whole family and enjoy it for years to come!

For some odd reason, this film has been out-of-print on home video for a while, but has been made available again in 1999 on home video thanks to Anchor Bay Entertainment. Its available on standard VHS version, widescreen VHS edition, and also on the DVD format as well. Shame on the Disney company for not re-releasing this film on video, and my applauds towards Anchor Bay for doing this. "One Magic Christmas" is a Disney film and yet Disney doesn't have the video rights for it or something? I don't understand that.

One DARK Christmas movie!

As a fan of Christmas movies, I remember seeing this years ago and watched it again recently. This film was terrible. The plot was far too dark to be enjoyable, and the actors looked completley bored to tears. The little girl was adorable and the only positive thing in this entire movie. There were way too many loose ends that we never tied up and the movie was way to depressing. Harry Dean Stanton is a fine actor but he looked like he would rather be anywhere than this atrocious movie. Mary Steenburgen is a phenominal actor but was TERRIBLE in this role! These actors looked like they were forced to act in this movie and were completly wasted. The effeccts in the film were very hokey and I cannot get over how dark the plot was. The end fails to deliver and punch as well. Avoid this film folks it's dark and boring!

Pure Christmas!!!

This is a touching, wonderful Christmas movie. It does not have any of the cynicism that is in most of the Christmas movies of late.

Oi Veh !

Read on and take note - you could save 88 minutes of your life (was that all!).Unremittingly bleak, this film sets out to produce (I'm guessing) a modern small town American Christmas fable in the Capra style. If fails....completely and absolutely fails. I've been trying to think of one good thing about it and can't. Let me mention some of the highlights ...People don't die, they get to spend eternity as immigrant workers in Santa's factory. Angels are actually ex-cowboys who sit in trees. Santa can bring people back from the dead (if you send him a nice letter). And the plot.. I won't spoil it for you but there has to be some light in films if only to contrast with the darkness but there isn't any. Even the photography is bleak - snow shown at the end of a freeze, everywhere looking cold, damp and miserable. As you might guess, the film has a happy (schmaltzy) ending. What a relief !

Great Christmas Movie

I love this movie! I also use to watch it on the Disney Channel all the time. I remember the great scenes w/ the North Pole and Santa. It looked so real and beautiful. I still think it has some of the most realistic and beautiful footage of Christmas I have ever seen. I always wanted that snowglobe. This film really makes you believe in the spirit of Santa and Christmas.

Christmas is the importance of family

I absolutely love this movie. The main character (Mary Steenbergen) is a bah-humbug scrooge working mother, who does not appreciate the blessings she has in life (health and family). She hates Christmas and all of the expense that goes with it. She has two lovely children and an adoring husband who spends his spare time - get this - refurbishing bicycles to give to poor children (now THAT'S my idea of a real man)! An angel helps teach her the HARD WAY, to see that her glass is half full, not half empty. Keep a BIG box of kleenex handy. And it is not necessarily a chick flick - my husband loves this movie, also!

Believing Can Be Everything

This is a movie that refects what stress and money can do to an individual around the holiday season, and how one persons actions can create a turmoil of events to themselves and those around them. When you think you are down and out, just watch this movie to see how wonderful life really is and the importance of believing. Enjoy, its a really good one!

One of the best Christmas stories EVER!

I loved this movie. It's easy to understand for the whole family. I was kept on the edge of my seat when I thought the tragedy was for real. This has become one of the movies we watch to get us in the Christmas Spirit!

This is the perfect Christmas movie

This a warming story of a young mother who lost her Christmas spirit. She has a very wonderful husband and two lovely children. Her husband has lost his job, they don't have money and the little bit of money they do have it is in the bank. One of her kids Abbie meets a nice Christmas Angel. He helps Abbie help her mother get in to the spirit of Christmas. She has a lot of bad things happen to her. In a way she is real lucky. With Abbie and the angel help she will she get the spirit of Christmas back? If you are the worlds most cautious parents. I recommend you to preview this movie. But for all the rest of the parents this is the best Christmas movie. I also recommend the movie the Night they saved Christmas. It is my second favorite Christmas movie.

open-minded

Excellent movie. It is a realistic view of what many low income families experience and how through love, hope and God (symbolized by Gideon)daily problems can be met head on and defeated. Some people believe it to be violent and not suitable for children. I believe, it has less violence then most children's video games, many T.V shows directed at children (say The Simpson's - although, I think that too has many redeeming values) and several other movie's containing death and deceit as depicted in the Lion King and the horror of the mean kid in Toy Story. One Magic Christmas is an excellent movie to watch with everyone in the family. It's heartwarming fantasy at its best.

One Magic Christmas to Remember

I must say each time I see this movie a year older than the last, the better it gets. I've been watching since I was too young to remember. My Christmas isn't complete without watching this movie. The story of a young girl and an angel friend struggling to teach the true meaning of Christmas means more than any hokey pokey 'round about Santa story. Mind you the story is very sad, the water works will start pouring with the power of One Magical and very happy Christmas. Grab your tissues for this one, it will grab hold of your heart and stay with you throughout the many a Christmas yet to come.

Are you all kidding me??????

This was the WORST Christmas movie I ever saw. I took my two small children to see this. It was the darkest, most dismal plot- family has no money, mom loses her job, father gets killed in the bank, bank robber steals family car with both kids in the back and after high speed chase, drives off the bridge and drowns them in the river. Mom is left all alone. No wonder her Christmas spririt is gone. Christmas angels do not rescue children that have drowned, and Santa does not bring back dead fathers! I thought this was the WORST message to send children. Better to tell them that there is NO Santa than show them a movie like this!!

Good grief! Not for children's viewing!

Sorry, but I will spoil both the plot line and the ending for you in hopes of avoiding a holiday fiasco like the one that I now face. The father dies and the mother asks Santa in a letter to bring him back to the family for Christmas,...and Santa does. Dad is peachy, happy healthy and totally unaware of the fact that he had died. All ends syrupy sweet.But as a parent who recently watched my five year-old lose his best canine friend, it was a horror flick. Now my son is convinced that all he has to do to bring his buddy back is to ask Santa! Do not underestimate the willpower of a young heart- no amount of persuasion will convince him that it was only a movie and that his dog is NOT coming back for Christmas. It has been heart breaking to watch his joy only to know that Christmas Eve he will have to face his loss afresh.Shame on you on behalf of all the believers that have lost a loved one recently. It is hard enough to deal with the loss one time for a child, but there are some wishes that we shouldn't even portray as a possibility.

One Magic Christmas

My children and I were brand new in town and went to see One Magic Christmas years ago when it was showing in the theater. It has become a Christmas Eve tradition! My oldest is 22 and living on his own...the DVD version was one of his gifts this year. My 16 year old asked yesterday if we had plans for Christmas Eve. When I mentioned that we would be visiting friends, he said "Before or after One Magic Christmas" Wonderful movie that really puts things in perspective.

Could alter your life

This is not just a great Christmas movie, it is a great movie. The style is an unusual mix of fantasy and realism. The ending is a series of emotional triumphs made the more so by Mary Steenbergen's acceptance of the power of magic to inform and give meaning to daily realities. It is an existential journey to faith.

Two other things I would mention relative to other reviewers. The child molester image of the Gideon character was not apparent at the time. In retrospect it may have been better to have a female angel, but Gideon is effective in his humility and soft-spoken nature.

The other thing is that other reviewers mention the special effects. I saw this movie in the theatre and it was amazing. I was overwhelmed by its power. It was nominated for an Academy Award in cinematography and won in that category in Canada

I really wish someone would show a clean copy on the big screen again. As it is I have watched the movie every year since as an annual rite.

Beautiful movie

I watch this movie every year and I think it's absolutely beautiful. The movie sends a wonderful message. My children, ages 16 and 14 also enjoy the movie. It does send you on an emotional roller coaster but in the end it's worth the ride. :)

The Best!

This is the best movie other than It's a Wonderful Life and Miracle on 34th Street to watch around Christmas. I bought it for my father for Christmas. He loves it. I could not find it in any local stores only the internet. I trust Amazon and its price.

All time favorite Christmas film

As a child, I grew up watching a VCR recorded TV presentation of this film every Christmas. I was thrilled to own the DVD since I no longer have that old recording. I have always loved the message the movie presents about finding the Christmas spirit, and that sometimes it's right in front of you even if you can't see it. It's moral is somewhat like that of "It's a Wonderful Life" however the story is different and takes a few turns that leave you breathless. It was filmed probably in the 80's or early 90's so the quality is a bit less then perfect, but it does not distract from the story whatsoever. I definitely recommend this movie for all families to own as it is my personal favorite.

We hated this movie

My spouse & I found this movie to be very schlocky. It started out good, but quickly got unbelievable & ridiculous. Most of the acting was poor, with the exception of the little girl, Abbie, who really was terrific. In addition, the dialog was predictable & lame - especially Gideon, the Angel's. Also, without giving away anything, when one of the characters has a tragedy, she almost appears nonchalant. At first we thought it was 'shock', but then we realized that it was just a terrible script. We love almost all of the Hallmark movies & their heart-warming stories, but this movie doesn't rise to the occasion of being one. There are so many great ones - don't waste your time with this horrible movie.