The Christmas Bunny (2010)

Too much of everything

So much average

Save your money for something good and enjoyable

It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

Pleasant little film. Not too saccharin for a Christmas film. Lead child actress is very good and believable....one thing though, the 2 boys/characters need some help. 1st they shoot the bunny and then they put it in some weird pram with rocks and push it down a homemade bob sleigh ramp (I got the feeling the cousin was the instigator) I would have bitten the little bastard too!

In Ottawa County in western Michigan, the Cooper family is in financial trouble because Scott has lost his engineering job and his wife Patti's job painting furniture doesn't pay enough. They have a son Billy. One way to help the family make money is to take in a foster child.Julia is on her fifth foster home. Her mother keeps getting in trouble, and has given Julia up only to ask for her back and get in trouble again. Julia arrives but won't talk. She has a video of "The Velveteen Rabbit" which she immediately starts watching, and she won't stop.The family goes to Uncle Chip's house, which is really nice. Chip has money and can offer Scott a job but Scott won't take it. The family opens presents on Christmas Eve because Chip, his wife and his son and daughter are going to Mexico on the big day.One of the presents results in a serious injury to a rabbit in the woods; the bunny appears to be a pet. Julia picks it up and holds it, and Scott and Patti go to the vet. The vet wants a lot more money than the family can afford, but it is possible for the rabbit to recover without him doing anything. This will require help from someone who knows rabbits, and there is a place.The family has seen the old house where Betsy Ross lives, with a sign saying "Rabbits" out front. Betsy takes the rabbit, saying she knows exactly what to do, and the family should come back next Tuesday. This is after Julia starts school.So will the rabbit get well? Will Julia adapt to her new situation? Will Scott get a job? Will Julia's mom show up for Christmas?Sophia Bolen does a great job. She doesn't have to say much, and when she does talk, she shows a wide range.If you're looking for Carol Brady, look somewhere else. Florence Henderson does an outstanding job but looks her age at long last; Betsy has made no effort to look good. Her personality is more Martha Raye or Sophia Petrillo than what Henderson has given us over the years. And that's fine. She is kind and loving in her way. This is not a sweet movie, but it is touching, and Betsy has a lot to teach about responsibility.Faith is included in this movie as well. Patti has it but Scott is about to lose his. While the movie had a TV-G rating, that doesn't mean it is without concerns. Julia's mother did abuse her, though she hits a camera showing Julia's point of view, not the girl. She is dressed for a hot date, but some of what is said about her suggests she was a prostitute. Plus she sold drugs. In addition, Julia, having been abused, also abuses.Overall, this is a fine family film.

I usually hate movies like this, but I actually enjoyed this one. Probably because it was a little darker than I expected. Not as "uplifting" as a Hallmark movie, but not as melodramatic as standard Lifetime fare. The cinematography has a nice indie feel to it rather than a sterile TV movie look. I thought the gloomy Michigan winter nicely framed the uncertain financial prospects of the dad and also the isolation of the girl. Though I wish the relationship between the rabbit lady and the girl had been developed a lot more since they were both so emotionally shutdown. Nevertheless, Florence Henderson did a great job in a role that played against her usual chirpy persona. I actually didn't recognize her until I saw the credits.

I can't help but wonder if the person who wrote the other review actually SAW the movie. It looked like a cute idea and my 5 year old begged to watch it. I don't let her watch much TV and she was very excited to be allowed to watch this. It had a slow, boring plot line. I found it to be a complete WASTE of our time!!!! The little girl is mute so that adds a lot of silence and limits the dialogue. The parents fight, the little girl is weird and sometimes violent. Not only was it very uninteresting it was also a little disturbing for my daughter to watch because of the parents always arguing. I really wish I wouldn't have let my daughter watch this movie...it was a complete failure as far as I was concerned.