Bonneville Producers Group, Hallmark Entertainment, The Polson Company
Richard Thomas, Maureen O’Hara, Annette O’Toole, Kelsey Mulrooney, Robert Curtis Brown, Michael Ensign, Greg Brouwer, Nicole Forester
Richard Evans (Richard Thomas) is a workaholic Dad who owns a ski shop. Business is great and he’s trying to build the business, so it takes long hours. Work is always on his mind. They are about to open a second store. Keri Evans (Annette O’Toole) is his long suffering wife and Jenna (Kelsey Mulrooney) is their little girl. They live in a tiny apartment, and since Keri is stuck in the house full time without much help from Richard, she hatches a plan to get a job for the family as a caretaker for an old lady, Mary Parkin (Maureen O’Hara). She chooses them, but immediately starts picking on Richard. He can’t figure out why the lady is so close to his wife and daughter but seems to hate him.
Plus there is a mysterious box in the attic which plays music that he also hears in a recurring dream about an angel. Something mysterious is going on as he can’t figure out why no one else hears the music. Something very spooky is going on here.
Mrs Parkin has secrets, and is up to something. Plus she keeps pestering Richard for the answer to ONE question. “What is the FIRST gift of Christmas?” Finding the answer to this question may be the key to what it all means.
This is an excellent story. This is about the best I have seen Richard Thomas. He’s really wonderful in this role. The message is very unique and very strong, and the mystery portion of this film is about as good as any regular film. The two hours of TV time fly by and when you come to the end, it’s rewarding, but sad that it’s over. Everyone in this film is fantastic, and it’s well worth searching this one out.
** The Christmas Box (1995),
