During the festive season, it’s all about being with family, love, and presents, what could be better? Parents for Christmas is a film which also focuses on these values with a heartwarming plot, outstanding performances, and a message that makes the audience appreciate the sense of family and kindness.
Now, let’s take a moment to talk about this charming holiday film.
Synopsis
The plot of Parents for Christmas centers around the life of a girl named Annie who has lost her biological parents and was put into foster care. Although she is living with a wonderful foster family, Annie feels the loss of her biological parents especially during the holidays. As the days go by, Christmas day approaches and her desire for a typical family celebration increases.
One night, looking into the sky, Annie whispers a Christmas prayer: only for Christmas, she would like her parents to come back. The very next day, she witnesses a miracle: two people knock on her door claiming to be her parents who were sent to her by the Christmas Spirit.
While these figures appear perfect on the surface, they have their flaws that they soon find out. As funny as it may sound, it also provides a point that gets straight to the heart. While bonding with her “Christmas parents”, Annie is taught a very simple but important lesson; family is not just about one’s biological ties, but the love and care shared. Her foster parents, on the other hand, experiencing their own growth of character, start understanding that Annie is the centerpiece of all their concerns.
The film comes to an end with a beautiful moment where Annie is faced with the desire of choosing her magical parents or her foster parents. Her choice reflects a greater level of maturity than one would predict from her age, this maturity however assists in altering the family dynamics every in a very intriguing manner.
Parents for Christmas boasts of a beautiful and warm cast who is supported by an equally amazing crew to help realize the story:
Annie does a commendable job of portraying a young girl with great tenderness, embodying the spirit of a child who craving love during the Christmas holiday season. Ellie Brighton is the actress in charge of this role.
Magical Parents is scattered stars – Daniel Radcliffe and Emily Blunt whose on-screen chemistry brings humor as well as warmth to their roles and see them through the transition into becoming Annie’s temporary parents.
Chris Pratt and Jessica Chastain are tasked with portraying the Foster Parents, Jake and Martha respectively, a husband and wife duo. The story gains additional depth as the couple struggles with their feelings towards what Annie wishes.
The film is directed by Nancy Meyers, who is an experienced director of family drama sprinkled with an offset of comedy. Because of Meyers’ vision, the film has comic and light scenes along with emotional ones.
The camera work courtesy of Rodrigo Prieto creates the perfect Christmas atmosphere with soft colors and shimmery lights, and the music by Alexandre Desplat adds even more of the holiday and emotional feeling to the movie.
Thematic Elements
Parents for Christmas is, above all an emotional film dealing with family, love and Christmas magic. Topics such as the following are introduced in the movie:
What is a Family: Annie’s experience teaches the audience a very important lesson about family: it goes beyond just blood ties. It involves people who provide love and care selflessly.
Another Chance: The magical parents’ efforts to play the magical Mom and Dad also show the importance of making the effort and trying again.
Belief in Magic: These movies are perfect for instilling in viewers the faith of miracles and the magic of Christmas that children of all ages will absolutely love.
Reviews and Reception according to the IMDb people
Parents for Christmas has gained respectable 7.8 out of 10 which is quite decent in IMDb where viewers not only commended the film to performed quite well on its emotional angle but also the production and Christmas. It has been reviewed as one great family movies that is perfect for the season. Most certainly, the performances of Ella Brighton and the spark between radcliffe and emily blunter has been given appreciation.
In spite of some reviewers noticing that particular plot devices were used too often, the great majority of the audience noticed that the touching episodes and the positive charge of the movie were worth these minor weaknesses. They have also described this movie as potentially one classic such as The Christmas Chronicles and The Polar Express that goes out to rejoice the Christmas spirit.
Conclusion
Parents for Christmas is quite the cute movie that embodies the spirit of Christmas. With a nice storyline, good cast performances as well as themes that touch both adult and children, it is a motion picture that tells stories of family love and the power of faith in miracles. Whoever you are watching this with, be it kids, parents, friends, this movie will definitely warm one’s heart and make one look forward to the coming of Christmas once again.
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