Thomas Kinkade's Home for Christmas User Reviews

While "The Christmas Cottage" is no "It's a Wonderful Life", and therefore not destined to become a Christmas classic, it's a good little movie in it's own right. Packed full of people you've seen elsewhere (Richard Moll, Geoffrey Lewis, Charlotte Rae, Ed Asner, Richard Burgi), the three main leads -- Marcia Gay Harden, Peter O'Toole and Jared Padalecki -- are very effective, especially the relationship between young Thom (Padalecki) and his aging mentor, Glen (the amazing O'Toole). Some of the scenes were slow, and could have benefited from tighter editing, but many were funny, touching and pleasant. I have to admit Thomas Kinkade's heavy hand is really in evidence here, but I thought the movie succeeded in spite of itself. I think it's worth a looksee, and is certainly better than some of the dreck out there that passes for holiday fare.

11/29/2008, 4:07 pm