Plot Summary
Jack Davenport loved his adoptive parents, but he always wanted to know who his real parents were. So when his adoptive father dies and Jack finds a clue in his belongings that could speak to Jack’s biological parents, he decides to go to a small town in Texas that could hold some answers for him. He and his wife have grown distant from each other, so she lets him go without telling him that she is carrying their first child. Jack hopes to find what he is looking for, but that he doesn’t know is that the answers he is looking for are not what he thinks.
Production Quality (1.5 points)
Christmas Child is a fairly respectable production. It sports good camera work and professional audio quality, though the soundtrack leaves something to be desired. Sets and locations are engaging and realistic. However, there is some low video quality throughout. The editing is also an issue as some scenes lag longer than they should while others are understated. Overall, this is an average production that seemingly could have been better.
Plot and Storyline Quality (1.5 points)
Max Lucado is well known for his poignant plots, but Christmas Child was probably not the best one to choose to make a movie out of. It’s basically just a typical small town plot filled with stereotypical characters that fit into molds. However, the characters are at least down-to-earth and believable and their struggles are accessible. There are some interesting elements and portions of dialogue, but the plot is reliant on too many coincidences. Overall, this is very safe and pedestrian plot with no real plot twists than many will find enjoyment in.
Acting Quality (2.5 points)
The casting and acting is this film’s strongest suit. The cast clearly knows what they are doing and have been coached well. However, there are some lackluster lines and emotions that keep this section from being all that it could be. Yet this should be an example of the baseline for acting in Christian films.
Conclusion
Many people love Max Lucado and will enjoy this movie. There is nothing glaringly wrong with the movie, but we feel that Lucado has more to offer than this. It’s always nice when movies portray people as regular and realistic, but Christmas Child as a whole is perhaps too slow for some audiences. In short, as we have said before, this sort of movie should be commonplace in Christian film, not the exception to the rule.
Final Rating: 5.5 out of 10 points
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