So This Is Christmas (2013)

Good movie but grossly overrated

Fresh and Exciting

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

First of all, it's absurd this movie is rated PG. The language and the bloody, violent scene towards the end should push this up to a PG-13 rating.As for an actual review: This is one of those "family torn apart by tragedy and they come together thanks to the power of Christ" movies, except in this movie, the message doesn't work at all. One character, who's a drug user, gets his girlfriend pregnant, is in a gang, and uses the foul language that should keep this movie from a PG rating, just all of a sudden changes for the better after cursing out God after his girlfriend gets stabbed in the stomach. Really, his change comes pretty much out of nowhere.The main character's change for the better is more gradual and makes a bit more sense - she's convinced to help with a church's nativity play, and that mostly combined with the friendly carpenter changes her from being a clubbing, drunken mess to a more put-together young lady.But that's not enough to save this movie. The plot overall is slow, and there's somehow too many plot threads and yet not enough. The characters are almost entirely unlikable, and nobody ever calls out the step-mom for her obvious preference for her biological son and her blindness to his drug use and stealing her money and how absurdly critical she is of her step-daughter; at one point the step-daughter shows up in short shorts and a sparkly shirt, and the step-mother says "Did you get that at a thrift store?" with contempt. Which is absurd - she's more concerned that her step-daughter may have bought clothes secondhand than that her step-daughter is dressed like a hooker and keeps coming home drunk.But then in the end we find out the step-mother is responsible for the death of her step-daughter's biological mother, but her new husband (the step-daughter biological father) is fine with that, and the drug-using son says "Hey God, please let my girlfriend live" and then there's a mediocre duet of "Mary Did You Know?" that then repeats during the credits immediately after the duet first ends.There's plenty of other Christmas movies that have a "redeeming power of Christ" message that have much more solid plots and likable characters than this one.

So This is Christmas, is the story of a family broken by the death of the mother, and how God intervened and showed how love can be strongest in pain. In all of our lives, trouble seems to come when we least expect it or at our moment of greatest weakness. There is no good time to lose spouse or parent and the loss of a loved one can tear a family apart. God is a healer and He works in mysterious ways. Sometimes we need an affirmation that God is really working to help us out. What God does isn't always direct or obvious but his healing touch is profound never the less. Christmas is the time we celebrate God taking action to heal a lost and broken world and "So This Is Christmas" illustrates how God is also concerned with our world,our private brokenness and how he works to heal us and those we love. If you are one of the many people who feel down at Christmas time, let this movie lighten your heart. If you need a lift, or just want to watch an enjoyable movie; So This Is Christmas is well worth your time this holiday season!

So This Is Christmas Is An Awesome Movie. Life is about choices and this movie exemplifies this to the point. I like the Christian theme and the point of cause and effect through choices in life. I enjoyed the plot and setting as well. I want to see this movie again in order to catch anything I might have missed. I enjoyed the camera angles, the lighting, and the script writing and can tell this movie is made with love of the art of movie-making. The humor was subtle and played well with the story as it unfolded. The preaching of His word was subdued and yet came to point perfectly in a message of Love. The cast worked well together and flawlessly. I definitely want a copy of this movie for our home collection. I will make the addition personally to our school's library. This movie will become our families new Christmas classic.

A Christmas film that the whole family should go see. With even grade school kids being exposed to so much info so young....this is one that shows right from wrong an brings hope to those who have lost theirs for whatever reasons. A heart warming experience that will surely help you leave the theater in The real uplifting spirit of Christmas. In a society that has seemingly lost the real meaning of Christmas .....to extended yourself to give to others....this movie is a throw back to the reality of real giving! Showing that our adults are so involved in making a living they are out of touch with their family. Neglecting to see what is really going in our children's lives in our own homes. This movie shows how outta touch we can be an how there is hope of getting our family ties back to the real deal... called family.