Christmas Comes to Willow Creek (1987)

Thanks for the memories!

Fresh and Exciting

A brilliant film that helped define a genre

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

BEWARE OF FALSE REVIEWS & REVIEWERS. SOME REVIEWERS HAVE ONLY ONE REVIEW TO THEIR NAME. NOW WHEN ITS A POSITIVE REVIEW THAT TELLS ME THEY WERE INVOLVED WITH THE MOVIE. IF ITS A NEGATIVE REVIEW THEN THEY MIGHT HAVE A GRUDGE AGAINST THE FILM . NOW I HAVE REVIEWED OVER 300 HOLIDAY FILMS. I HAVE NO AGENDA.The film stars John Schneider and Tom Wopat[1] (reunited from The Dukes of Hazzard, and one of the few projects in which the pair didn't play the Duke cousins), with Kim Delaney, Zachary Ansley, Joy Coghill and Hoyt Axton. Music for the film includes songs written and recorded by Billy Milo.In this film Willow Creek is a small town in Alaska. It has fallen on very hard times. The local cannery closed and the town is no suffering because there is no jobs for them anymore. Now a former Willow Creek resident still has a a soft spot in his heart for his former hometown. What he does is really what the Christmas Spirit is about. Even though I liked this movie some of the stuff is "Silly". What is nice that film does so well is that "Forgiving is Important" "Nobody is perfect", "Help when you can" and most of all "Never give up hope". It is worth watching.

This is one of those Christmas movies about modern day redemption and reconciliation. The plot of "Christmas Comes to Willow Creek," is good. The script, acting and direction are just fair. Improvements in any of these areas would lift the rating of the film a notch or two. John Schneider and Tom Wopat of "The Dukes of Hazzard" TV fame are two brothers on the outs over a woman. The plot jumps between the brothers in California at the trucking firm they drive for, headed by Hoyt Axton as Al; and Al's hometown, Willow Creek, Alaska.I enjoyed the scenic shots, especially once Ray and Pete hit the road, with Pete's son, Michael, in tow. The incidents they get into on the trip add some zest to the movie. The northern end of the trip was filmed in the Yukon Territory. All in all, this is an OK movie that most will enjoy. Those who remember watching The Dukes of Hazard on TV may think they're watching scenes from that series – in some of the skirmishes Ray gets into. Minus Boss Hogg and Sheriff Rosco Coltrane, of course.

I have watched this movie every year that I have had it at Christmas time. I feel that it really shows the true meaning of Christmas.While I really enjoy the performances of Tom Wopat and John Schnieder, I think that the actor who plays Mike, Zachary Ansley, does the best job as he transforms from rebellious Juvenile Deliquent to a dependable, and upright young man.There are several other good scenes, including the poetry-spouting policeman, the delivery scene, and the final scene at Al's house.I would recommend this movie to all families, but there is some bad language and violence.

Tom Wopat and John Schneider team up again -- post-Dukes of Hazzard -- for this made-for-TV movie. This time they play feuding brothers who both work for the same trucking company.The owner of the company is a native of the small Alaska town of Willow Creek and each year he sends a truck of presents back to the folks at home. This year he plans on making the trip himself, but his health keeps him bedridden in sunny California. Ray (Schneider) is already scheduled to make the run with him, but the owner insists that Pete (Wopat) go along too.Along the way the two face many obstacles that force them to think over their differences. Pete is the older, dependable, sensible one (think Luke Duke), while Ray is the younger, undependable, irresponsible one (think Bo Duke). Finally they work their differences out in time to bring the Christmas spirit to Willow Creek.Wopat and Schneider fall easily into their roles and turn out admirable performances. Schneider is at his best as his character grapples with giving up the carefree, reckless life for doting fatherhood. Notice the dramatic turnaround his character has made by the end of the movie. Sadly, the same cannot be said for the rest of the cast, especially the Willow Creek townspeople. Their characters are underdeveloped and overacted, bringing the movie down with them. The story is a good one, but the miserable performances of the supporting cast destroy the impact the movie could have achieved.Still this movie is a must for any die-hard Dukes of Hazzard fan. It is the only project Wopat and Schneider have done together that isn't related to The Dukes. And it is a good family film. It has the nice happy ending, with the re-affirmation of the importance of family that makes everyone feel warm and fuzzy.