It is that time of the year. The time when many of us reach out for Christmas joy well before Christmas comes around. And it is that time when I can’t help but search out Christmas movies. I have friends who have already been binge watching every Hallmark Christmas movie they can find, and I have my DVR set to record some too.
Today I want to share this little gem straight from Amazon Prime! If you don’t have Amazon Prime…I want to highly recommend it. OH and the Fire Stick too! I picked that up last year for my husband and son, and we love it for easy access to all Amazon has to offer and Netflix too (separate memberships of course).
So my first Christmas movie of the season….
ABOUT THE FILM (Straight from the Christian Movie Database):
Christmas Grace tells the story of two rival toy store owners competing for business over several Christmas seasons.
One of them is Gary, a young toy store owner who runs an honest business and who tries to be a good Christian witness to his customers. Things are running smoothly for Gary until his business is threatened when a much larger toy company moves to the neighborhood.
The owner of this larger company, Jim Tollman, is a ruthless businessman who will stop at nothing to grow his business and eliminate his competition. Since his most immediate competition happens to be Gary’s store, he sets his target on him.
As the story unfolds it becomes very clear that God is at work in the lives of these two men, and Gods Grace and Providence work out in ways neither of them could of imagined.
STARRING: Ryan-Iver Klann (Gary), Tim Kaiser (Mr. Tollman), Ann Filippis (Susan), Christy Storey (Loren)
PRODUCTION COMPANY: Bright Horizon Pictures and Crystal Creek Media
MY REVIEW: I simply cannot watch a season of Christmas movies without first reaching into a good faith-based film. Well, my hopes are that it will be good. Christmas Grace did not disappoint. It starts out with a perfect small town setting. There is snow on sidewalks and a light hustle and bustle is captured. And then there is the toy shop. I tell you, I was ready to dive right in. There is just something about small towns and the suggestion of a tight community that warms the heart and opens the mind to dreaming. I am won over every single time.
We meet Gary the owner of a the small toy store. The store isn’t bustling but it looks like the kind of place where you could find something unique and share a little news with Gary. And news is shared by a friend…a gigantic toy store is opening up across the street and it doesn’t look good for Gary. Gary is not overly concerned. He believes God has everything in control and has an attitude of there is plenty of room for everyone. Obviously things are not going to work out so simply.
What I liked: I loved that Christmas Grace is filled with a cast of…how can I put this? Normal people. If you are in a small town, you are going to see and interact with individuals much like those you see and encounter in Christmas Grace. It drew me in far more than seeing another typical Christmas movie cast and by typical I mean the same stars in the same roles that are just slightly recycled. Everyone grows on you. I liked that Gary kept his trust in the Lord and was encouraging to others.There were key points in the film that had a nice impact on me and even my husband.
What I would have liked to see tweaked: The acting could be a little off and wooden at times. I read some reviews that really blamed the actors for anything negative about the film, and I have to disagree with that. I think that the writing could have been tweaked a little bit where people spoke a little more naturally, but none of that took away from the film for me. The timeline also could be a little hard to follow, but again none of these things made me dismiss the film nor become impatient with it. I looked for and found the gold in the story.
RECOMMENDATION: If you are looking for a sweet Christmas story to get you in the mood for the season, definitely check out Christmas Grace. If you are offended by the mention of God in a Christmas movie…don’t see it. If you are over critical of acting or semi-corny story lines…I really don’t know why you see Christmas films anyway, because aren’t they all a little predictable?
LAST NOTE: I watched this via Amazon prime and its streaming service for free. It is also available for purchase at Amazon, Family Christian, and Christian Film Database to name a few. PS No affiliate links here, but maybe some time. 🙂
Rating 4 our of 5 candy canes
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