I would give this movie a minus 10 if I could. It was so bad, I had to find something else to watch because this movie didn't even qualify as background noise while fixing Christmas dinner-- it was so bad.
The characters are not so much drawn as splashed like left over paint on the floor.
The characters are one dimensional and either evil evil evil or goody goody goody. You get the idea.
The acting is wooden and lacks any inflection. The main character's hair is right out of "fright wigs R us."
The director said "act mean" and the actor grimaced. I wish I could be more pithy, but just stay away - very far away- from this trash.
Home for the Holidays
2005
Action / Drama / Family
Home for the Holidays
2005
Action / Drama / Family
5.8Keywords: christmas
Plot summary
The McMurrin family - parents John and Susan, and their three children, preteen twins Amy and Sam, and young adolescent Michael - live on a rural Washington farm that has been in Susan's family for generations, the actual house built by Susan's father when she was a young girl. At the beginning of December, John and Susan die in an automobile crash. The only real family the children have left is their single maternal aunt, Martha McCarthy, who also lives in town. Despite she barely being able to provide for herself, there is no question in Martha's mind that she will take care of the children, they all to live on the farm so that the children will continue to be together in the only home they've ever known. Paige Holloway, who is assigned the case worker for Social Services, this her first ever file, is sympathetic to Martha's goals, especially in not wanting any disruption to their family unit during the Christmas season. Paige wants to help Martha in any way she can. But the harder Martha and Paige work toward this end result, the more it looks as if the system is working against them toward the possible reality that the children will be split up in the foster care system, regardless of the fact that John and Susan listed Martha as the children's legal guardian in their will. First, Paige's supervisor, Carol Parker, a by-the-books but generally fair woman, believes Paige is letting her emotions take over and not following the guidelines which are in place for everyone's best interest. And second and perhaps more importantly, Jonathon Covington, a heartless man who is handling the estate on behalf of the bank, informs Martha that the McMurrins were deep in debt, with the life insurance and expropriation of the farm property not even covering that complete debt, meaning that the children not only lose their home but get no money in the process. Martha is hoping that her old beau Jack Cooper, a San Francisco lawyer who has just returned to town, will be able to assist legally in dealing especially with Covington. A little ingenuity plus some Christmas angels may be what is required for Martha and children to be able to stay together under one roof that is truly a home for Christmas.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
Director
Top cast
Sean Young as Martha McCarthy
Perry King as Jack Cooper
Lucia Walters as Paige Holloway
Paula Shaw as Miss Carol Parker
Tech specs
720p.WEB 1080p.WEB 816.39 MB
1280*714
English 2.0
NR
Movie Reviews
Reviewed by
Not worth the time
Reviewed by
A Good Hearted Flick But Missed Mark
It seems that a lot of holiday movies want to force that sentiment that should come with honesty of the story and NOT the acting. A lot of times what we get is a movie that has very polarized characters. Bad guy is over there...he should twirl his mustache.
There are just too many unearned sobbing in this film. I think I follow William Goldman's sensibility when his idea of courage is looking at the face of destruction, knowing you have no way of living thru adversity, but still stepping into rank and file. I think there were just too many moments where the characters want us to feel a certain way...and push that button. HARD.
The story revolves around Martha McCarthy (played by Sean Young). She's very plain and simple. Living a log cabin life while surviving on part time work in an antique store. After the death of her sister, four children are dropped into her lap. And now it's a fight with the bank to decide their fates. She wants to keep them. Foster care wants to take them as she is considered unacceptable applicant. Even though she is the only family the children have.
I made a similar film like this in film school. It was an incredibly tight rope you float when you add children to the mix. Easy to exploit the emotions, since any child left alone already draws feelings. Martha's character needs to grow up fast. And part of this is learning from adversity Which she is given in spades. She is fighting so many fires, it's hard to determine which one will re-ignite later in her life. What is surprising is, at a certain point in the movie, she becomes resigned to this lot in life and does some really creative work to fight the powers that be.
One curious thought that came to mind...the town is small. Everyone knows each other. Everyone helps each other. Everyone seems to be related in some way. Is it really realistic to believe that some powers that be would not have faith in her? They do a really good job arguing this point.
I say, as an inspirational flick...it is worth the time. I like small-town movies. And Sean Young does a really serviceable job. She seems to have dropped her really bizarre persona that she was notorious for for a very neat acting job. She IS a small town girl, and you feel every minute she's lived in that town.
Would I recommend? On a slow night, it's a nice feel-good lazy watch.
Reviewed by
A Lifetime Surprise
You know how a Lifetime movie will sometimes leap out of the box and surprise? HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS does just that. While the movie is billed as starring Sean Young and Perry King, the movie really belongs to Young and Lucia Walters. Perry King is in only a few scenes and is not worth writing about. Young, playing the role of an Aunt who gains guardianship of three children after the death of their parents, gives a truly compelling performance. This was the first surprise. The second was a wonderful performance from Lucia Walters as a Social Worker who must work inside a bureaucratic system - and actually care at the same time. The final surprise was a plot that kept me interested and a script that was fairly well-written. There are some weak spots and plot holes, but for the most part this little holiday telefilm fits into my category of a Lifetime Surprise.