Plot Summary
When well-to-do David George is laid off from his job right before Christmas, he and his wife agree not to tell their three children until after Christmas to see if he can find a new job. But as his job search becomes more and more fruitless and the money begins to run out, the George family begins to find themselves running out of options. Confused and frustrated, they are forced to vacate their house and seek shelter elsewhere. Though they are at the end of the rope, little do they know that things are about to turn around for them.
Production Quality (1.5 points)
Everything about A Christmas Tree Miracle is a mixed bag. While the video quality is sometimes blurry and outside scenes are not shot very well, the camera work is mostly okay. Audio quality is good, but the obligatory Christmas soundtrack is wearing. There are actually quite a few sets and locations used, but some of the outside ones seem fake. Finally, the editing is just okay yet falls short of what it could be. There seem to be too many useless scenes and the first half of the plot is spoiled before it even begins. In all, this is an average production effort that should have been better.
Plot and Storyline Quality (1 point)
Essentially the Christmas version of Stand Strong, A Christmas Tree Miracle sports a surprisingly complex plot, even though it has many bizarre undertones and random twists and turns. For example, sometimes things happen just because they need to happen. One of the main characters is a creepy and schizotypal Santa Claus figure. Though some plot occurrences are believable, others are just too far outside of reality. If the writers wanted this movie to be meaningful, why does it have such strange elements? The storyline oscillates back and forth between potentially interesting and laughable. Elsewhere, there is too much annoying narration throughout. Though the characters have some basis of believability, they seem unfinished and at times cartoonish. Overall, there is just a general feel to this movie that you can’t really put your finger on. It almost makes you want to like it, but it’s just too silly to be good.
Acting Quality (1.5 points)
Like other parts of the movie, the acting is sometimes tolerable while other times it is smart alec and over the top. Some cast members come off as trying to make fun of the film. Others are more professional. Emotions are inconsistent but line delivery is mostly on par. Basically, just another average effort.
Conclusion
A Christmas Tree Miracle is one of those odd movies that seems better than its rating. Yet we cannot in good faith rate it any higher when it has so many goofy elements and logical inconsistencies. The idea is interesting and might even be worth a remake. The creators seem semi-genuine in what they are doing and produced a good amount of content to back it up. However, this film just isn’t up to par with what it should be. They should have spent less time on quasi-fantastical ideas and more time trying to bring this story into the real world. But perhaps they have better things in store for the future.
Final Rating: 4 out of 10 points
Box Office Revolution 