There are many Hallmark Christmas movies. Some involve romance, but all of them concern maintaining or regaining the Christmas spirit, that feeling of generosity and thankfulness that we associate with the holidays. "A Christmas Visitor" wraps a dramatic story of loss around the familiar Christmas themes.
George (William Devane) and Carol Boyajian (Meredith Baxter) are parents who lost a son to the Gulf War. Twelve years later, George decides it is time to reclaim the spirit of Christmas they abandoned when their son died during the Christmas season. Daughter Jeannie (Reagan Pasternak), who has shared their sorrow, is dealing with the possibility of breast cancer.
Their lives change when a stranger comes to their small town on Christmas Eve. Matthew (Dean McDermott) is a veteran who also served in the Persian Gulf. He is surrounded by mystery and it is not clear if he actually knew the Boyajian's son.
Predictably, this is a tearjerker, and it adds patriotism to the usual emotional mix. It is all done tastefully and with optimism. Devane plays his central role with understated elegance. The possibly paranormal elements of the film are ambiguous and one wonders if some unifying scenes were left on the cutting room floor. Still, the film has a tender spirit that might leave the viewer with a smile and a tear.
George (William Devane) and Carol Boyajian (Meredith Baxter) are parents who lost a son to the Gulf War. Twelve years later, George decides it is time to reclaim the spirit of Christmas they abandoned when their son died during the Christmas season. Daughter Jeannie (Reagan Pasternak), who has shared their sorrow, is dealing with the possibility of breast cancer.
Their lives change when a stranger comes to their small town on Christmas Eve. Matthew (Dean McDermott) is a veteran who also served in the Persian Gulf. He is surrounded by mystery and it is not clear if he actually knew the Boyajian's son.
Predictably, this is a tearjerker, and it adds patriotism to the usual emotional mix. It is all done tastefully and with optimism. Devane plays his central role with understated elegance. The possibly paranormal elements of the film are ambiguous and one wonders if some unifying scenes were left on the cutting room floor. Still, the film has a tender spirit that might leave the viewer with a smile and a tear.