Starring Angela Lansbury, Dick Van Dyke, Noelle E. Parker, and Alvia Clark
Directed by Tim Janis
Music and Lyrics by various
This is another recent film I hadn't heard of until a few weeks ago. Despite its claim that it was in theaters, it apparently only made it to one theater before being withdrawn and wasn't released to streaming and DVD until almost a year later. This would seem to have been a labor of love for first-time director and screenwriter Janis, despite its poor reception. How well did he do with this holiday melodrama about orphans looking for love at Christmas? Let's begin with a hand leaving a letter for Annabelle Hill (Abigail Spencer) and her husband (Paul Greene) who are hoping to adopt a child and find out...
The Story: Little Emily (Parker) is brought to the orphanage by Mother Gertrude (Roma Downey) on Christmas Eve. She's convinced no one will want her, until kindly Rose (Lansbury) comes and reads her the story of another child who wanted to be adopted. Annabelle Kingsley (Clark) loses her sailor father (Ioan Gruffud) to a storm at sea, and her mother (Julia Burrows) to fever after she starts working at a mill. Annabelle also ends up working at a mill before she runs away. She once had a guardian angel (Van Dyke) who kept watch over her, but after the death of her father, she stopped believing in him. He's still watching over her, though, and will find her a loving home even on a cold and snowy Christmas Eve...and will help Emily find the perfect home, too.
The Song and Dance: Touching movie features Lansbury's final performance as the mysterious older woman who actually relates most of the story. Clark's trying her best as the poor kid who has pretty much every terrible thing happen to her, and she at least works well with Van Dyke. Their two cheer-up numbers are among the film's few high-points. There's also some slightly decent cinematography in many real-life locations, including an authentic restored mill.
Favorite Number: Our first number comes from Annabelle's father, who insists that if "Angels Hear" his prayer, they should save his daughter when she has scarlet fever. Annabelle and her angel have two cheer-up dance routines, "Smile and the World Smiles Back at You" when her father is at sea, and his encouraging her to have "A Proper Attitude" during her town's 4th of July celebration. Her mother sings her a heartfelt "Lullaby" after her father dies. "All We Ever Do Is Work" lament the children laboring hard in that dirty mill sweatshop.
What I Don't Like: Janis' inexperience shows everywhere. The dialogue is stiff, most of the performances are dull, the CGI is almost as fake as the sets in Estella Scrooge, the direction is amateurish, the songs are boring, and other than the kids' "Work" routine, they seem shoehorned in to lighten the mood. It doesn't really have much to do with Christmas until the end, either. And the kids making fun of her in the mill call her "Buttons" once, briefly. It's certainly not mentioned enough to be the film's title.
Speaking of lightening the mood, this is one dark movie. Just about every melodramatic device that could be jammed into a plot turns up here, from the little girl losing both of her parents to her falling through the ice and the happy finale after so much misery. It's really depressing for both a so-called family film and a Christmas movie, maybe a little too depressing for sensitive kids (and some adults).
And why have Kate Winslet and Robert Redford "narrate" when they barely get a line or two each? Lansbury does the bulk of the narrating. I know Redford said he's retired, but they could have at least found Winslet something more to do.
The Big Finale: Too dark and depressing for my taste, but if you're a fan of Van Dyke or have more of a taste for heartwarming melodrama than I do, you'll want to take a look at this takes of orphans finding a home for the holidays.
Home Media: Despite its relative obscurity, it's easily found on DVD and streaming.
No comments:
Post a Comment