Christmas Lodge

This movie was good enough to buy after watching it a couple of times on Amazon Prime. We aren’t sure how Prime decides what to keep in its ‘library,’ and we didn’t want to lose this one in the future..Just for funsies, I read some of the one- and two-star reviews, and I’d like to clarify some items here..If you don’t pay attention, you can miss some essential details..1) The mom has gray hair, and I thought she was the grandmother at first. She seems much older than the dad, but then her kids ARE 30-ish! (I was glad to see Rebecca Toolan in this likable role. She’s also the nasty almost-mother-in-law in the movie “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year” with Henry Winkler. Good actor.)2) We also needed clarification about the timeline the first time through. But if you pay close attention, you’ll note that this movie takes place over about nine months. The hiking near the beginning is probably in March-ish. The movie ends at Christmas. There are two places … spaced apart … where several months have passed. But hey, you have to listen to the dialog. :->3) I noticed one negative review that focused on not seeing a renovation crew’s accouterments. There’s a good reason for this: we do not SEE the renovation. A small team attends to items that must be fixed before heavy winter weather kicks in. The renovation comes later. (Having a tarp draped over part of the roof was a nice touch. It showed us an area that needed repair.)4) It WAS a little goofy, near the end, that there was this nice beautiful path to the area causing such concern at the beginning. A quick script change could have explained that. “We’re near the area where …” instead of “This is where …”.I won’t go on because it would step on some vital plot points. The movie needed a better continuity manager, but when you find a film with good family values, normal-everyday people doing what they do, and no drama kings or queens, that’s gold. And hey … Michael Shanks?? Count us in!!.By the way, for those who weren’t paying attention but complained anyway: we DO see the dog after the forest scene, snuggling on the couch with the little girl. And we hear him a couple of times, barking outdoors. You may not be aware that renting animals is expensive. Not having the dog around at all times is life. So that worked.

This is a very special magical movie. I found both the casting and the acting to be superb. The story is touchingly lovely and uplifting. Additionally the CD also has a video about how the movie was made; it is as magical as the movie. On a scale of 1 to 10; I would rate it at least a 12.

Don't get me wrong, I really liked it, which is why I gave it 4 stars, because I like light and fluffy movies that have a lot of love, but the timing was all off.I could not get a sense of the time that passed between scenes. And then the fact that they wanted to fix the Lodge before Christmas seemed unrealistic, but at the same time, I had no idea of that that time was, and how long they actually had. Everything felt up in the air.That said, it had good acting and it was a comfortable movie to watch.- not too much suspense, which I like.

Very heartwarming. Some of the only criticisms I had were that the dialogs seemed forced and unnatural. I would rarely call a girlfriend, or someone close, by their name, yet here they did it in every conversation, making me doubt there were any feelings behind the act.The other criticism was the unnatural relationship between the two stars: they just didn't give off a chemistry vibe. I had a hard time believing that deep feelings had developed when I didn't see it in how they acted around each other. A distant friendship, with a bit of awkwardness, was all I really felt they portrayed, then we're supposed to believe they somehow fell in love, without changing how they acted around each other. I just didn't buy it.The next thing was the reservedness of Jack: he always seemed depressed, whether it was facing a lodge falling apart, or a lodge completely restored with Christmas thrown in to boot. Yeah, at some point, you'd expect some life to show thru, but even asking the woman he supposedly loved to marry him didn't raise his mood.The last thing was a technical bit: you had 3 family members, all with their own contracting businesses, tackling a multimillion-dollar renovation: where the hell were their crews? I saw the 3, but no laborers, no carpenters, or plumbers, or roofers: where were the staff needed to complete a 2 million dollar renovation in mere months? I saw the work and crew of a several thousand dollar project, not of a 2 million-dollar one. For that matter, where was there a million dollars of materials? I never saw evidence of that. A bundle of shingles, a pile of boards: yeah, no, for 2 million dollars, they could have built a whole new lodge.Yeah, the story was nice, but too many elements were off to make it realistic in the real world.

This movie takes me back to when my pum-paw and gam-gaw used to make me sourdough biscuits, just like in the movie. It did not bother me that the mother character was a ghost. I liked it, it's like she is both the mother and the grandmother and has enough love in her heart for all of them together.It also didn't bother me about the part when the girl had broken ankle and the lady could have just walked around the boulders. It was important to the story to show you how good at hiking she is.The best part, of course, was our Lord And Savier, The Son Of God, Jesus Tapdancing Christ. Love that guy. Amen? Amen.

Beautiful sceneryLoving people

A wonderful modern-day Christmas classic. We’ve watched this at least 3 times over the last some years, and I pray we are given more Christmases in which to keep enjoying it. Such important and heart-warming themes are touched upon in this movie, and the acting is all top notch. The actors fit their roles perfectly. This movie is a Christmas keeper. Don’t miss it!!

My wife and I watched this film on Amazon Prime and so enjoyed it that I have ordered a copy for my parents in time for Christmas.It really is a delightful Christmas film. As has been mentioned in the positive reviews- the characterisation, the beautiful settings, reminences, the Waltons style atmosphere. It is a feel good film of the highest order.I was therefore initially puzzled that the film draws some very negative reviews.Some accuse it of being cheesy, and yet painful situations such as relationship break up, seriously ill grandfather, and feelings of not being able to 'afford' to help people in need are depicted/acted out in a realistic way.It is precisely because of the realism concerning the difficulty of trusting someone new after a broken relationship that makes the lead woman believable in her prevarication towards the end, though everyone knows he's right for her and his persistance decisively triumphs over that prevarication- a 'cheesy' film would just have her accept the new man without this kind of subtle touch.If you study the negative reviews carefully you will see the real reason for the dislike of this film is a prejudice against Christianity. All prejudice is irrational but the kind expressed here is just bonkers since the film is a CHRISTmas film after all!It is also sad because these type of reviews fail to see how the Christian Faith actually impacts painful, difficult circumstances by changing characters motivations/ actions for the better. So, for example, the grandfather's biblical challenge to his son to try and move him from just thinking in terms of money making to helping the man in need is one manifestation of the Christian injuction to love one's neighbour as oneself. When Christians attend Church and listen to the Bible taught these are the very things they are being encouraged to do in their real lives.Sadly we live in an increasingly secular society (code for athiestic), where such standards are seen as unreal, however, many Christians who genuinely want to follow Christ in discipleship know differently. Why shouldn't that positive reality be explored and worked out over and against the negative/ painful circumstances? And since that happens in real life for believers then why can't these themes be expressed in fiction too? If Christ is the motivation for many, why can't that be openly stated?The classic 'It's a Wonderful Life' also has strong Christian references, made in a more liberal and informed Age where the majority knew Christianity was a force for good. They had the biblical background through school assemblies, parents sent their children to Sunday Schools, and although some people may not have become believers themselves they were liberal enough to respect it.But now there is widespread ignorance of that Christian heritage.Now we have the censorius judgment 'it's too religious' as though the film were invading us with some kind of diseased outlook from the outset. Meanwhile such people salivate over the likes of EastEnders as though the strife and sin depicted there is the only reality. Is it any wonder that our society is itself increasingly stuck in that bog because we have turned our backs on the light that can truly brings us out of darkness?So I say don't give way to the Christophobic thought police, be glad we still have freedom of expression in the West to watch films like this, and people brave enough and skilful enough to create such in their presentation of the true Reason for the Season.

Don't think this is "just a Christmas film" - without spoiling the story in any way, Christmas is the finale with the rest of the story concerning 2 families - one owns the lodge, the other spent happy Christmases there in bygone years. It has a very nostalgic feel with plenty of reminiscences and old photos underscoring the unfolding of the story - imagine the Waltons meets DIY SOS and you have some idea of the premise of the story - it's a keeper and something you would enjoy watching again in future years

This is a lovely charming Christmas movie. The lovely Michael Shanks is the reason I purchased and always looking out for his movies and any good Christmas movies to add to my collection.

An amazing christmas feel-good movie sure to get you in the Christmas spirit. I knew as soon as the film started it would give me that feeling of how important family are at Christmas and the lengths one will go to to relive their childhood dream of rebuilding a house that they once grew up in.The film itself has fantastic locations, a nice lodge in the woods is everyone's dream home. A great cast, excellent performances from everyone in the movie and a few good songs performed by Victoria Banks who also co-stars in the film. Definitely well worth watching.

This film is really sweet. All about family, home and having faith. Michael Shanks is delightful in it and Erin Karpluk is excellent. I bought myself a multi-region DVD player so I could watch this film - well worth it (and if you want a recommendation for a cheap and easy to use multi-region dvd player go to 3wisemonkeys.co.uk)!I thought this would take ages to come from Canada but it was really quick and well packaged too!