The Christmas Box (1995)

A Major Disappointment

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

Now I love Christmas films, Scrooge(1951), It's a Wonderful Life, Miracle On 34th Street(1947) and the first two Home Alone movies all to name a few. That said, while not quite a classic, The Christmas Box was a lovely film to watch. And along with The Reading Room, it is for me one of the better Hallmark films. I do agree that the story line is corny and clichéd, but what made the Christmas Box so watchable was the suitably understated acting and a very poignant ending. The direction is good, the pacing is efficient enough to not make the film too sappy and the music is a beauty. The script does have a touch of honesty and heart as well, that I did appreciate. But the acting was what made the film. I cannot say I care for Richard Thomas that much, but his acting is very understated here and it works. Annette O' Toole is as lovely as ever, while Maureen O' Hara is a sheer pleasure in this film. Overall, very nicely done and moving. 8/10 Bethany Cox

"The Christmas Box" tries to mix together several elements--corny melodrama, supernatural thriller, redemptive tale--but to my mind succeeds best at showing what good actors can do with fairly mediocre material. In the opening shot I thought, "Wow, got to be a Hallmark TV Movie"--which it is, I learned from the closing credits. That should tell you about all you need to know. Richard Thomas is quite good as the husband/father who needs to learn a lesson, and of course Maureen O'Hara would be great reading the weekly supermarket ad, so she makes this movie was very watchable. The movie has a "secret" that the plot hinges on, but if you haven't guessed it by the first ten minutes, you're not paying attention. That removed a lot of the thrust of the story for me, but it was still enjoyable going along for the ride. It's got a lot of sentimentality, but if a movie can't be sentimental at Christmas, when can it?

I didn't plan to see this. Instead I just sat down while my wife was watching it and ended up seeing it all the way through. It was difficult not to get emotionally involved, mostly because of the acting of Maureen O'Hara. Yes, some of the plot mechanisms are clichés. Yes, the overall message of knowing what to truly value most has been done many times by Hollywood. But the understated performances from O'Hara and Richard Thomas along with a good story really make this movie well worth watching. I ended up being so affected that it drove me to write this review in the hope that it might influence someone else to see it. And perhaps enjoy it as much as I did. Merry Christmas everyone...

I cannot understand the low rating of this movie. I have truly enjoyed The Christmas Box and believe it's a marvelous holiday movie. The acting was excellent and, once again, Maureen O'Hara proves that she is a true star. The Christmas Box is a film that could rival A Season for Miracles and It's a Wonderful Life. I highly recommend this movie, one of Hallmark's best films. Don't miss it!