Swirl Films, UpToParr Productions LLC,
Lisa Arrindell Anderson, Omari Hardwick, David Banner
Pamela (Lisa Arrindell Anderson) is a single mom with her 4 children struggling to make sense of their first Christmas without their father who was killed in action in the military the previous year. Things are really hard for them, and they are trying their best to get along. They bump into Earl (Omari Hardwick), a lonely guy, surviving Christmas without his children whom he lost custody of when they moved away with their Mom and her new husband. They form an alliance when Pamela’s children run into some issues that they can’t deal with very well, and Early steps in to help them out.
This premier movie on the TV One network doesn’t get the same splash and bravado that Lifetime, ABC Family, and Hallmark get, but it’s a really good film. TV One is an African American oriented cable network that was started in 2004 and has grown very rapidly. This film is a really good example of the quality stuff that they put out. This movie is real life, and is darker than most Christmas films, but with the hopefulness and uplifting feel by the end that a good Christmas story should have. The kids are suffering, each in a different way, but still the suffering in their own way. But the adults, though trying to do the best for the kids, are both suffering through their own pain. This movie is especially about loss, but also about redemption, and other qualities such as courage, compassion, and love and how they can overshadow the pain. It’s a great urban Christmas story of people trying to do the best they can under their difficult circumstances. It may be tough to track this one down, but it’s well worth watching, and I hope in the future it can get a wider release and distribution.
[Here is the location of the TV One page for the film]
[This is an informational page from The Examiner about this movie]
