A Christmas Without Snow (1980)

Very best movie i ever watch

Really Surprised!

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

I have to admit I wasn't expecting much from this 1980 TV movie. However, "A Christmas Without Snow" is a nice little film to put on in the mood for the Christmas holiday. It is about a church choir getting ready to sing Handle's "Messiah" for the Christmas concert at their church. There are some trials and tribulations along the way, but I'm not going to spoil the movie for others. I'll give you a hint, the hardships are overcome with the spirit of Christmas. There are two standouts in this movie. One is James Cromwell as Reverend Lohman. Mr. Cromwell makes one believe he truly is the pastor of this San Francisco church. The other standout is the late Ramon Bieri, he was typically cast in tough guy, villain, or corrupt official roles. In this film Mr. Bieri plays a "salt of the earth type of man." In fact, Mr. Bieri portrays a man one would like to have as his next door neighbor/friend. Clearly James Cromwell and Ramon Bieri stand out in this Christmas TV flick. Check it out and you will enjoy it.

When this was first broadcast back in 1980, we taped it for later viewing because, as pro singers, we were both out (where else?) singing Christmas concerts. On the surface, this would seem to be yet another retelling of the cliché that the Christmas spirit has the magical (and cloying) power to bring us all together, mend fences, cure global warming, etc., etc. But it's more. Each character, even the minor ones, faces a moment of realization that the status quo of his or her life is simply not enough to meet the needs of reality.In leaving a bad marriage, Zoe strives to be a more fulfilled person, but also understands that her decision will ultimately benefit her ex-husband and son as well; rather than an expression of selfishness, it's a wrenching left turn that frees them all from a future of ennui and anger. Plenty of preachers make it through their careers without having to stray from the bland platitudes they learned in seminary, but the Rev. Lohman (James Cromwell) is grabbed by the scruff of his faith and compelled to deal with a world that isn't "nice," where pain and injustice don't just melt away. Even Muriel is forced to climb out of the frantic little box of fears she has built for herself, even if it's just a step or two. In fact, the only character who doesn't approach a state of satori is the "professional" soprano, who must protect her fragile ego at all costs, and thus becomes the one truly unsympathetic character.I've never really thought about this little film until now, but always wondered why it was so satisfying year after year. Now I know.One more note -- I bought a DVD version of this film last year in the hope of improving on the quality of my 27-year-old Beta (!). Sadly, it's just as choppy as the original, as if the negative were lost and all that's left for striking new copies is a work print. Also, does anyone else think the ending is a bit abrupt, as if there were about three minutes of resolution that had to be cut? Happy New Year!

We watched this movie two nights ago and found it quite different. The main character is a newly divorced woman who moves to San Francisco from Nebraska, leaving her pre-teen son with his grandparents until she can make enough money to send for him. Frustrated by the lack of available teaching positions, she works as a "floating" office temp. To have some consistency in her life she joins the church choir as it is beginning to rehearse Handel's Messiah. The movie is about this woman's interaction with the other choir members and challenges the choir faces leading up to the performance of this music. Watch for Ruth Nelson (Inez) as a sweet, older realist who is quite an encourager. She also played the encouraging teacher in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn from the 1940's.

This is one of those TV movies that builds quietly and steadily to an emotional finish. Michael Learned plays a recently divorced woman who moves to another city with her slightly rebellious teenager. She has to build her life again among strangers, and she begins by joining a local church and their choir. The choirmaster, played with real spleen by John Houseman, is a perfectionist and they clash right from the start. Learned has many other pressures in her life, not the least of which is an ex-husband trying to gain favor with his son, and she begins to feel that the choirmaster is more an enemy than a friend. Just when she's ready to quit the choir, several things happen that reaffirm her faith in God and in herself, and she stays.This isn't shown anymore, and is difficult to find. But it's worth a look if you run across it, and it's perfect for the Christmas season.