A Season for Miracles -

Customer Reviews:

A Nice Show
The best thing about this movie is the acting. All of the charactors filled their parts so well that you forget it's a made up story. Carla Gugino convincingly potrays Emilie Thomson - a strong young woman trying to do whats best for her "kids" while being torn between duty and love in a society where red tape sometimes gets in the way of human needs. Her romance with the young police officer, Nathan Blair, was touching. I just wish they had taken the extra mile with the faith thing. Patty Duke played as an angel, but there was nothing about God or Jesus. It's weird how you can talk about angels and no one gets upset, but if you talk about God and Jesus, some people will lable you as religious and narrow minded. I also wish that they hadn't made Nathan "turn" on Emilie when he discovered her true identity. This movie is too short for that to be put in without messing up Nathan's charactor development. It certainly didn't do anything to help with the progression of his and Emilie's relationship. Probably the only reason why they put it in there was for a suspense ellement, and to teach a sound bite lesson on forgiveness . . . but I think it would have been better without. Thus said, it was a nice show and I'd reccomend it.
--2006-10-26

VERY SPECIAL
I LOVE THIS MOVIE,AND DESIRE TO REPLACE OUR VHS COPY TO DVD.WE WATCH IT ALL YEAR LONG,THOUGH IT IS A CHRISTMAS MOVIE.I LOVE ALL OF THE CAST.AND I LOVE THE FEELING THAT IT LEAVES ME WITH,AND WILL HAVE THIS ON MY CHRISTMAS SHOPPING LIST FOR FAMILY AND FRIENDS.
--2005-10-02

outstanding family movie
This is one (affirmative) family movie that will keep you on the edge of your seat on the first viewing. Will they be caught? Will the children be taken away from their aunt and given into the care of strangers? The fact that the man interested in the aunt is the local police captain adds to the tension. The resolution is credible and miraculous only for those who believe that nothing good ever happens.

This movie does a good job of presenting life in a small town without turning the town into a make-believe toy town, as so many Disney movies do. And the children are real and believable without being brats. Moviemakers who think that children have to be brats in order to be real should watch this movie.

If you like this movie, see the Little House on the Prairie series (if you haven't already). Also, Mary Christmas. Also, A Thanksgiving Miracle. All of these will lift your spirits and make you feel at home.

--2005-09-21

Predictable but Good
A Season for Miracles was a predictable movie but a good one. I have read several good reviews about the movie so I want to concentrate more on the actors and actresses. Carla Gugino, whom I first saw in "The One," a SF movie with Jet Li about multiple universes did an excellent job playing Emilie Thompson kidnaping' her niece and nephew to prevent them from being sent to foster care. Her niece played by Mae Whitman again showed her acting talents. I saw her not too long ago in "Hope Floats," another movie I would recommend." And Patty Duke played a believable angel. She does good in these kind of parts. I remember her playing look alike cousins, Patty and Cathy Lane in a situation comedy years ago, and I saw every episode. I have seen many of her movies and would see a movie just because she was in it. Lynn Redgrave did a classic job as the judge. The two elderly sisters are someone I would like in my family. This was a fun movie and my wife and I found it quite enjoyable. We were a little disappointed as we both hoped the returning lawyer would also be as friendly as the rest of the townsfolk and would somehow find a way of letting Emilie and the children `inherit' the big house but it ended well as it did. This review was about the Hallmark movie presentation.
--2005-02-12

The True Spirit Of Christmas
I chanced upon this beautiful Hallmark television movie last Christmas and I must say it has now really become one of my favourite pieces of viewing over the Christmas period. Watching it again last night I could see again why I was so impressed by it last year. A simple story of love, caring and the basic decency of people, "A Season For Miracles", deserves to be better known among all the seasonal offerings when it is so perfect for this time of the year. Sentimental it may be a times but I see nothing wrong with that and the excellent performances by all the cast make it superb viewing at that time of year when our thoughts turn to our loved ones and others that we care about.

For such a sensitive movie "A Season For Miracles", actually begins with a hard edge to it as we are introduced to the main characters and the situations they have found themselves in. Berry Thompson (Laura Dern), finds herself held under arrest in a district hospital on drug related charges. Her sister Emilie (Carla Gugino), finds herself in charge of Berry's two young children Alanna (Mae Whitman), and J.T. (Evan Sabara). Threatened with having the children placed in foster care, on an impulse Emilie collects them up and drives off with no plan as to what to do or where to go. Driving with no destination in sight the trio end up in the small town of Bethlehem where they stop at a diner run by a mysterious lady (Patty Duke),who directs them to a large empty house in the centre of town where they will be able to stay the night. Once settled into the house a series of amazing events or "miracles", occur where Emilie and the children are mistaken for the heirs to the empty house and the townsfolk including neighbours Agatha (Mary Fogarty), and Corrina (Mary Louise Wilson), and especially the local policeman Nathan (David Conrad), take the family to their hearts. As a growing attraction develops between Nathan and Emilie it gets harder for Emilie to leave the temporary home they have found. Even the children begin to open up and come back to life in the caring environment they find in Bethlehem. Meanwhile of course the authorities have put out a warrant for Emilie's arrest on a charge of kidnapping. The "miracles", however continue to happen when Emilie's name, courtesy of the mysterious woman (Patty Duke), suddenly turns up on the deed of the property. As Christmas approaches the children for the first time see the love of real people in their lives and Emilie herself anxious that they should experience a proper Christmas also sees the unselfish love and kindness that Nathan is offering her. On Christmas Eve however at the Police Christmas Party a fax arrives which reveals Emilie's real identity and the truth comes rolling out. At first angry about the deception Nathan himself learns something about love and caring when he sees the genuine love Emilie has for the children and realises that breaking up this family would be the worst scenerio possible. At the late night court case presided over by Judge Jakes (Lynn Redgrave), he comes out in defence of Emilie and her actions and proposes marriage to her. The pair then plan a future together which was only possible by the guidance of the "mysterious woman" (Patty Duke), who in fact was a guardian angel sent to look after Emilie and the children and to prove well and truly that "Anything is possible".

"A Season for Miracles", is one of those very touching Christmas efforts that only come along quite rarely. Surprisingly it doesn't seem to be aired very much at Christmas but really it's uplifting story is suitable for screening any time of the year. Performances here are all first rate in particular the work of Carla Gugino as Emilie and David Conrad as Police Officer Nathan. They really make the perfect couple and team incredibly well. Carla Gugino does very well in displaying her dilemma of having found it seems the perfect world and the perfect man yet all the time knowing it's not real and liable to fall apart at any time. David Conrad's character to me represents the very best qualities that humans possess and in a way he is the true spirit of everything that is so good about the Christmas season. He makes a highly likeable male lead in this story and he is aided greatly by Mary Fogarty and Mary Louise Wilson as elderly sisters who literally adapt Emilie and the children. The idea of having veteran actress Patty Duke who is a great favourite of mine, play an angel was a casting stroke of genius and she makes the most of her scenes where she seems to "turn up", at just the right moment in order to protect Emilie and the children from possible harm. As is typical of a Hallmark Production the look and feel of "A Season for Miracles", is first class from the setting in the beautiful town of Bethlehem, with its caring townsfolk and their warm welcoming of the three strangers, right through to the Christmas decorations, snow, and the protective presense of Patty Duke's Guardian Angel which all really bolster the feeling of Christmas and goodwill to all men. In short this is the perfect movie for this time of the year.

"A Season for Miracles", really is a terrific modern Christmas story and I hope you are able to enjoy this film at some time over the Christmas period. As an affirmation of the good that is in people and how strangers came often be of great help and comfort to other strangers it makes unsurpassed entertainment. It never fails to move me and with each screening gives me hope of a better world if we just try and adapt some of the qualities that seem in such abundance in the little town of Bethlehem where indeed "anything is possible". Enjoy
--2004-12-09

A Season for Miracles

- Hallmark