All About The Heart Of Christmas

By Kevin McDonald


Its that time of the season again. And what better way to approach it than with a whole bunch of sentimental and schmaltzy movies in which you can feel all the feels, as per the hackneyed alliteration. Lets narrow down the mind boggling smorgasbord of choices for you with The Heart of Christmas.

This American Christian drama was released way back in 2011. That seems like eons ago, considering. However, youd probably agree that theres something particularly enduring and timeless about Christmas tropes. Although the fads of last year are now strictly obsolete, you know you can go right back to quintessential classics like this one without suffering some acerbic backlash.

Of course, if youre after the feel good, empowering movies, keep in mind that youll be walking on eggshells here. Yes, it might make you feel good, in a cathartic way, and even empower you to do your best in this life, for that matter. However, it has a very gut wrenching method of achieving that, what with the life strings of an unfortunate child being held up to Fates shears all along the way.

To top off, this is actually based on a true to life story. It has to do with a family caring for a toddler who is on the final stages of a rare and fatal form of acute leukemia. It is told through the eyes of a stranger, another mother slash businesswoman who has another set of problems and issues all on her own.

The Walsh family matriarch is a career oriented woman whose job demands have separated her socially and emotionally from her children and husband. As part of her foxhole recourses to repair her broken relationships, she takes her children out of town for trick or treating. Its October, after all. Imagine her surprise when she comes across a compound decking out Christmas decors at this time of the year.

On the brink of existential crisis, she takes baby steps in rebuilding her family unit. She takes the nearest and easiest bonding dibs in the nearest possible future, that through arranging a trick or treat getaway. Its Halloween, after all. Her attempts at bonding might as well stay on this asinine tangent. However, this is a movie, and its just a few minutes into the viewing, so we know theres more stuffing in the sandwich.

It comes sooner than expected. In the course of their desultory trick or treating, they come upon a neighborhood in which many families are decorating for Christmas, which was evidently two months away. Of course, this is especially mind boggling, seeing as how mistaking the time and date can be a particularly debilitating form of mental disorder. Deciding that either her or these villagers were off their rockers, she decides to ask them what the whole shebang was all about.

This Yuletide celebration is indeed a singular one. Its ubiquitous, all embracing, and all inclusive. Its not often that you find a holiday celebrated the whole world over. There are universal elements and aspects to boot. And its not at all limiting and discriminative to those who identify themselves with the Christian faith. Of course, its totally normal to come across someone unwilling to celebrate it, but more often than not, you encounter people who have no qualms whatsoever in partaking the revelries and celebrations, and take up the quintessential Christmas Spirit.

That said, the movie brings home the true meaning of Christmas. Accordingly, its not strictly December 25, and its not strictly Christian, either. This movie takes out this quintessential season out of context, overturning whatever stereotypes run of the mill persons have formed about it. Its not all fairly lights and festivities. Sometimes, you have to look inward rather than out to get an inkling of the Christmas Spirit.




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