Christmas Eve (1986) (TV)

Director:

Stuart Cooper

Writers:

Blanche Hanalis (story)
Blanche Hanalis (teleplay)

Release Date:

22 December 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Story of a well-to-do elderly woman, who befriends the homeless and volunteers her time with children...

Plot Keywords:

Christmas

Awards:

Won Golden Globe. Another 3 nominations

Cast

Loretta Young	...	Amanda Kingsley
Arthur Hill	...	Andrew Kingsley
Ron Leibman	...	Morris Huffner
Trevor Howard	...	Maitland
Patrick Cassidy	...	Josh Kingsley
Charles Frank	...	Jamison
Season Hubley	...	Melissa
Kate Reid	...	Molly Gottchalk
Deborah Richter	...	Patti (as Debi Richter)
Allan Royal	...	Grodin
Lisa Vidal	...	Maria
Wayne Best	...	Harley
Bernard Behrens	...	Dean
Antony Parr	...	Professor
Amanda Hancox	...	Nora

Runtime:

Germany:93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Michael Filerman Productions

The Best Christmas Movie Ever!

Loretta Young plays Amanda Kingsley, who is a rags to riches older widow. Even though Amanda is very wealthy and eccentric, she never forgot the poor people of the world. She is a lady who is very classy, and very charitable. Amanda spends her nights giving out food and cash to homeless people, along with her loyal English butler, Maitland.

Amanda finds out she has an aneurysm and will die soon, but she keeps it a secret from her son Andrew. She only tells Maitland who is always by her side. Because the end is near Amanda sets out to hire a down-and-out private investigator, Morris Huffner and pays him a large amount in cash for him to find her three estranged grandchildren. They left home many years ago because they were at odds with their father, Amanda's unemotional, straight-laced, business man son, Andrew.

Andrew is constantly at odds with his mother too and he especially doesn't like the way Amanda spends her money. When Amanda changes her will to ensure her son only gets 49% of the family business stocks, Andrew tries to declare her incompetent.

P.I. Morris Huffner doesn't have much to go on to find Harley, Melissa and Josh. But knowing he gets a bonus for every grandchild he finds before Christmas motivates him. He doesn't realize how emotionally attached he will become to this family and how much this case will change his life.

Will Morris find the grandchildren, who don't want to be found, before Christmas? If they are found, will the grandchildren be willing to come back home and face their father? Will Amanda be found incompetent by the courts? Will Amanda die before Christmas? Why is Andrew such a hard person when his mother is so kind? Will Andrew finally see the light?

The way the conclusion is played out makes everyone in my family either cry or get choked up. We know the ending. We've watched it every year for nearly 20 years, but it never fails to make us emotional! This movie is worth watching, if only for the ending that hits you hard emotionally. A real tear jerker! Every year Christmas Eve never fails to put us in the Christmas spirit! This is the best Christmas movie ever!