Occasionally I am contacted by actors, writers or directors to screen and review their movies, mostly Indie films. I was surprised and pleased to be contacted by Daniel Roebuck (The Fugitive, 1993) to review his Christmas movie, Saint Nick of Bethlehem.
The movie is set in the town of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and is inspired by a true story of a big-hearted man who tragically lost his teen-aged son, killed by a drunk driver. Nick, who is the distraught father, is played splendidly by Daniel Roebuck. As well as having a great Christmas name, Nick is a dead-ringer for Santa, both in looks, mannerisms and temperament.
Nick had been devastated not only by the death of this son, but his wife had left him a couple of years ago, and in his grief, he had quit his job as a teacher, and was living with his mother, and in complete despair. In spite of skilled nagging from his mother Betty, (Kathy Moriarty) and counseling from the local minister Jimbo (Timothy E. Goodman), nothing could dislodge Nick from his depths. Nothing, perhaps, but a meeting with an old flame, Mary (Marsha Dietlein), who had moved back to Bethlehem to work at a Children’s Hospital.
Nick decides to rejoin the living, and takes a job as a used-car salesman at his brother Charlie’s lot. Charlie is played by Duane Whitaker…(Maynard from Pulp Fiction!) Charlie is the polar opposite of Nick, surly, ruthless, cynical and the ultimate Scrooge. Nick is also a “Secret Santa”, spreading gifts and joy to children at the hospital and elsewhere. Charlie does not approve, and wants Nick to concentrate on selling his cars.
O.K. That’s about enough of the plot. What about the movie? Well, the movie was well shot and well acted, a wholesome family Christmas movie. It was rated PG, and I had to stop and Google movie ratings again, thinking that the G Rating had been discontinued. This Christmas film was just about as white-bread and wholesome as it gets, with no cursing, alcohol, smoking, sex or Goat-forbid, nudity.
Thankfully, even with the ever presence of Jimbo, the preach, this movie carefully avoided being one of those annoying faith-based and nauseating Christian films. After some horrific movies, sometimes the viewer feels like the need for a hot shower after watching. After Saint Nick of Bethlehem, I felt like the need to wallow in some mud and shout obscenities.
So, I can’t really criticize this movie for what it was, a Hallmark-like feel good family film, without the Hallmark.
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