The Christmas Card (2006) Streaming on Up Faith & Family
It's not as if this film needs more reviews, but it needs some more thoughtful reviews. It's about an American soldier, Sgt Cody Cullen, played by John Newton, who receives a Christmas card while overseas. When he has a chance to visit the small town from where the card was sent, he does, and coincidentally meets the woman who sent it--Faith Spelman, played by Alice Evans. This was just a meeting in passing in a diner. Later, he meets her father, Luke, played by the late Ed Asner. Luke is crossing the street and doesn't see an approaching vehicle speeding toward him. Cody runs out, knocks Luke out of the way, and saves his life. In the course of Luke going to the hospital from falling in the street (better than dying), the family arriving, including Luke's wife Rosie (Lois Nettleton played the role very well), and Luke finding out it was an active duty soldier who saved him--Luke was also ex-military--a solid relationship began.
From there, Cody is invited to stay with the family over Christmas, is invited to work at the family sawmill when he mentions the desire to work, and they all grow closer over the coming days. Ed Asner is wonderful in this film, and Peter Jason, who plays Faith's Uncle Richard and co-owner (?) of the sawmill, is good as well. He adds a lot of animation to the movie.
Now then, many reviewers have criticized John Newton and Alice Evans in this film, saying, among other things, their acting was wooden. Please understand--this is not a rom-com where everyone runs around making snowmen, singing jingle bells, and sitting on Santa's lap while happily slurping hot cocoa. I'm afraid those reviewers are so used to THAT sort of Christmas movie they simply failed to realize that this was NOT that kind of film. This is much more of a drama. Not one of those heavy, boring dramas, but a drama nevertheless.
Sgt Cullen has just come from fighting in the Middle East where he has seen his friends die. He's not exactly a bundle of joy--though he IS pleasant and polite to everyone here at home. Faith lives in a small town, with her parents, and works in the sawmill office. She doesn't seem to have an exciting life, and one can see why she doesn't run around excitedly, either--though she is a very nice person as well. Eventually we learn that she has a mostly-absentee boyfriend (Paul, played by Ben Weber) whom we see shortly is--besides being a stuck-up wine salesman, a real putz. Faith acts as if she cares for him--but I always felt she was going through the motions (we never learn how they got together). Bottom line for this viewer--I felt like both Newton and Evans played their roles very realistically. Those other reviewers who wanted to see them acting like the typical, overly joyful Christmas actors in a rom-com completely misunderstood this film. It's low-key and more serious than that.
As time passes, Cody and Faith clearly are developing feelings for each other--Faith, seemingly against her will, and Cody, not really worrying too much about Paul because, well, Faith deserves better--at least it seemed to me. And Paul, who is hanging around, not only notices but overtly tries to get in the way of ANYTHING developing between Faith and Cody. He even acquires an engagement ring, not because he is all that interested in marrying Faith, but because he thinks it will give him a tighter hold on her. Yep--putz. If he had anything real to offer, he wouldn't have had to play games, but it was clear to this viewer that he did NOT have anything to offer. Still, true to her name, Faith was faithful to him. This even though her own father saw--and remarked--how much of a better man Cody was than Paul--and how much actual chemistry existed between Faith and Cody--while there seemed to be nothing real between Faith and Paul. Still, Faith was...faithful.
Eventually, circumstances became too much for Cody. Unrequited love is not pleasant. I'm not going to discuss the film's endgame--I have not read all hundred or so reviews--perhaps others have described the entire movie start to finish to the point that you feel you've already seen the movie, but I won't. I am going to say that this was a very good film. I have watched it a couple of times (or more?) and found it moving. I recommend that you watch it. Yes, it's low key, but it's warm and touching, and I believe you will enjoy it.
It's not as if this film needs more reviews, but it needs some more thoughtful reviews. It's about an American soldier, Sgt Cody Cullen, played by John Newton, who receives a Christmas card while overseas. When he has a chance to visit the small town from where the card was sent, he does, and coincidentally meets the woman who sent it--Faith Spelman, played by Alice Evans. This was just a meeting in passing in a diner. Later, he meets her father, Luke, played by the late Ed Asner. Luke is crossing the street and doesn't see an approaching vehicle speeding toward him. Cody runs out, knocks Luke out of the way, and saves his life. In the course of Luke going to the hospital from falling in the street (better than dying), the family arriving, including Luke's wife Rosie (Lois Nettleton played the role very well), and Luke finding out it was an active duty soldier who saved him--Luke was also ex-military--a solid relationship began.
From there, Cody is invited to stay with the family over Christmas, is invited to work at the family sawmill when he mentions the desire to work, and they all grow closer over the coming days. Ed Asner is wonderful in this film, and Peter Jason, who plays Faith's Uncle Richard and co-owner (?) of the sawmill, is good as well. He adds a lot of animation to the movie.
Now then, many reviewers have criticized John Newton and Alice Evans in this film, saying, among other things, their acting was wooden. Please understand--this is not a rom-com where everyone runs around making snowmen, singing jingle bells, and sitting on Santa's lap while happily slurping hot cocoa. I'm afraid those reviewers are so used to THAT sort of Christmas movie they simply failed to realize that this was NOT that kind of film. This is much more of a drama. Not one of those heavy, boring dramas, but a drama nevertheless.
Sgt Cullen has just come from fighting in the Middle East where he has seen his friends die. He's not exactly a bundle of joy--though he IS pleasant and polite to everyone here at home. Faith lives in a small town, with her parents, and works in the sawmill office. She doesn't seem to have an exciting life, and one can see why she doesn't run around excitedly, either--though she is a very nice person as well. Eventually we learn that she has a mostly-absentee boyfriend (Paul, played by Ben Weber) whom we see shortly is--besides being a stuck-up wine salesman, a real putz. Faith acts as if she cares for him--but I always felt she was going through the motions (we never learn how they got together). Bottom line for this viewer--I felt like both Newton and Evans played their roles very realistically. Those other reviewers who wanted to see them acting like the typical, overly joyful Christmas actors in a rom-com completely misunderstood this film. It's low-key and more serious than that.
As time passes, Cody and Faith clearly are developing feelings for each other--Faith, seemingly against her will, and Cody, not really worrying too much about Paul because, well, Faith deserves better--at least it seemed to me. And Paul, who is hanging around, not only notices but overtly tries to get in the way of ANYTHING developing between Faith and Cody. He even acquires an engagement ring, not because he is all that interested in marrying Faith, but because he thinks it will give him a tighter hold on her. Yep--putz. If he had anything real to offer, he wouldn't have had to play games, but it was clear to this viewer that he did NOT have anything to offer. Still, true to her name, Faith was faithful to him. This even though her own father saw--and remarked--how much of a better man Cody was than Paul--and how much actual chemistry existed between Faith and Cody--while there seemed to be nothing real between Faith and Paul. Still, Faith was...faithful.
Eventually, circumstances became too much for Cody. Unrequited love is not pleasant. I'm not going to discuss the film's endgame--I have not read all hundred or so reviews--perhaps others have described the entire movie start to finish to the point that you feel you've already seen the movie, but I won't. I am going to say that this was a very good film. I have watched it a couple of times (or more?) and found it moving. I recommend that you watch it. Yes, it's low key, but it's warm and touching, and I believe you will enjoy it.
