So This Is Christmas (2013)

Simply Perfect

A brilliant film that helped define a genre

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

First of all, it's absurd this movie is rated PG. The language and the bloody, violent scene towards the end should push this up to a PG-13 rating.As for an actual review: This is one of those "family torn apart by tragedy and they come together thanks to the power of Christ" movies, except in this movie, the message doesn't work at all. One character, who's a drug user, gets his girlfriend pregnant, is in a gang, and uses the foul language that should keep this movie from a PG rating, just all of a sudden changes for the better after cursing out God after his girlfriend gets stabbed in the stomach. Really, his change comes pretty much out of nowhere.The main character's change for the better is more gradual and makes a bit more sense - she's convinced to help with a church's nativity play, and that mostly combined with the friendly carpenter changes her from being a clubbing, drunken mess to a more put-together young lady.But that's not enough to save this movie. The plot overall is slow, and there's somehow too many plot threads and yet not enough. The characters are almost entirely unlikable, and nobody ever calls out the step-mom for her obvious preference for her biological son and her blindness to his drug use and stealing her money and how absurdly critical she is of her step-daughter; at one point the step-daughter shows up in short shorts and a sparkly shirt, and the step-mother says "Did you get that at a thrift store?" with contempt. Which is absurd - she's more concerned that her step-daughter may have bought clothes secondhand than that her step-daughter is dressed like a hooker and keeps coming home drunk.But then in the end we find out the step-mother is responsible for the death of her step-daughter's biological mother, but her new husband (the step-daughter biological father) is fine with that, and the drug-using son says "Hey God, please let my girlfriend live" and then there's a mediocre duet of "Mary Did You Know?" that then repeats during the credits immediately after the duet first ends.There's plenty of other Christmas movies that have a "redeeming power of Christ" message that have much more solid plots and likable characters than this one.

So This is Christmas, is the story of a family broken by the death of the mother, and how God intervened and showed how love can be strongest in pain. In all of our lives, trouble seems to come when we least expect it or at our moment of greatest weakness. There is no good time to lose spouse or parent and the loss of a loved one can tear a family apart. God is a healer and He works in mysterious ways. Sometimes we need an affirmation that God is really working to help us out. What God does isn't always direct or obvious but his healing touch is profound never the less. Christmas is the time we celebrate God taking action to heal a lost and broken world and "So This Is Christmas" illustrates how God is also concerned with our world,our private brokenness and how he works to heal us and those we love. If you are one of the many people who feel down at Christmas time, let this movie lighten your heart. If you need a lift, or just want to watch an enjoyable movie; So This Is Christmas is well worth your time this holiday season!

DO NOT WATCH THIS MOVIE with kids under age 16. That is unless you want to explain, sex, drugs, and every curse word (almost) to your 8 year old. "Mommy whats that thing in his mouth..." Um, that's a crack pipe sweetie. Of course I had NO IDEA that this movie would be filled with bar scenes and a crotch shot of a slightly erect penis (yep!) because it was in the FAMILY section. This movie was right next to "Miracle Dog" and it had a nice wholesome cover and every thing. But we were soooo wrong. Outside of that, the production, editing and many other aspects of the film were poooor quality. In one particular masterful editing sequence,a young lady went from being at a bar, to smiling at an empty school at night, to ending up at a friends house beaten. This took place literally in a matter of 18 seconds. There were no other scenes or dialogue! It was literally-bar...school smiling with nobody around...bruised and abused at friends house. I did appreciate the message and all. And I appreciate a depiction of a modern day interracial family. Other than that, this movie was a complete waste.

The whole reason I even watch and got this movie is to see Lexi Ainsworth. I liked the movie and thought that it had a great message to it, but it was way way way way way way way too slow. Also I didn't like the fact that EVERYONE had some issue to deal with. Then the fact the the guy said the F word while praying. It really bothered me. And they the play that Ashley wrote for the kids....really really bad. I don't know if it was meant to be bad and funny. I know it was a low cost film and you can tell, but that's okay nothing wrong with that. I really like that show and thought that the actors did well in it. It was a little Hallmark and Lifetime but less than it. There were some parts that I felt like they were over doing it. It was good and I will keep it mainly because I am a huge fan of Lexi Ainsworth.