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Christmas Shoes

A story centered on Christmas time is one that makes you think of miracles and joy, lightheartedness and laughter, and even a christmas romance.

The Christmas Shoes is one that has all of those qualities, with a main premise so deep and spiritual, that I could not hold back the tears even if I wanted to.

The Christmas Shoes, based on the book by Donna Van Liere and the song of the same name, voices love and struggles from two different families each going through a traumatic event in their lives, leaving you with many levels of emotions and the one that matters most- love.

The Christmas Shoes squeezes at the very emotional and difficult times when families are affected with a family member about to die unexpectedly, and a marriage that is in trouble.

This made for TV movie first aired last year and I was so affected by its sentimental and painfully sad, but remarkably uplifting and caring story, that it hit every tear filled nerve inside of me. When I knew The Christmas Shoes was going to air again, I had to see it. This time I was even more deeply affected by its story line, from when I last remembered.

The Christmas Shoes is warm and lovingly filmed. It's an emotional look at two separate families who struggle with sadness from an impending death, both in the physical and marital sense. It is achingly difficult to watch, yet it also warms the soul to see how the families turn to each other in time of need. For one family the love is clearly and strongly there, but will soon be saddened by a loss. The other family has what should be a blessed home life, but it is shaded in gray and quickly losing any hope of staying a family.

Maggie Andrews (Kimberly Williams) has a wonderful and loving family. Her husband Jack (Hugh Thompson) and their son Nathan (Max Morrow), are a good family, one that stands by each other, laughs and makes decisions together to the best of their ability. They work as a family and try to make the best of their financial situation, stretching it as far as they can.

Maggie loves being the director of the choir where her son is, and music is in her soul. But Maggie has been sick for a while and it was thought she might be fighting the flu. Unfortunately, Maggie has congested heart failure, most likely caused from a virus. She was expected to receive a heart transplant, but when the heart was contaminated, time was not on Maggie's side. This would be Maggie's last Christmas with her family and one that none of them would forget.

In the same town another family, who has all the comforts of job security and appears to be a strong centered family, is going through their own heart pains. Robert Layton (Rob Lowe), a lawyer, whose work is his life, doesn't see what he is missing, nor does he hear the cries of hurt and frustration by his wife, Kate (Maria del Mar) or daughter Lily (Amber Marshall.) Promises are easily made to the family but never kept and this Christmas it is only getting worse. Robert also wants Kate to go back to work, but has no interest in her feelings about having their daughter be without another parent, especially since she is doing so well in school and active in the choir.

And when the time comes for Kate to head back into the work force she wants to go back for the right reasons and the right job, which looks like teaching, after she takes over for Maggie, whose illness starts to take a stronger hold over her.

Also looking out for Max, is Dalton (Dorian Harewood), a teacher at the school, and in a touching coincidence he brings Nathan over for a visit with his neighbor Ellen (Shirley Douglas), Robert's mom. Both Dalton and Ellen will show their fondness for Max each in their own special way.

The true heart of this story is the love of a boy for his mom and what he wants to give her for her last Christmas, ultimately, her present to take with her to Heaven. But in the same breath this boy would not have been able to get his mom the present, if it was not for Robert opening his heart and helping him when Nathan didn't have enough money to pay for the shoes. This awakened Robert's own heart, to better look at his family's needs.

One day Robert will be able to see what his act of kindness has done for Nathan, who he will meet through a chance encounter.

Christmas is a time of love, blessings, friendship, and helping others that should not be forgotten. I think what made this story so remarkable was that the coming death in its final moments was so alive with pureness and thankfulness.

Excellent performances, especially by Kimberly Williams who brought such a glow of genuineness to her role, and the crushing and beautiful way her character was dying, left a knot in my own heart. She illuminated the screen with strength and gentleness.

Rob Lowe's battle with himself and his family was skillfully crafted and made his character see inside himself and realize what really is important. And of course, the wonderful performance of Max Morrow who showed how much love a little boy has for him mom and the special relationship that both of them share.

All this and so much more, made this an absolutely heart touching movie to watch, a true gift for the holidays.

 

Written by: Lynda Dale MacLean

Reviewers Rating: 9
Reader's Rating: 9.67
Reader's Votes: 93

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