Why Candace Cameron Bure’s CHRISTMAS TOWN Is Positively Delightful
Editor’s Note: In honor of The 28th Annual Movieguide® Gala and Report to the Entertainment Industry, we’re highlighting nominees for the upcoming ceremony. The Gala will be broadcast at a later date on the Hallmark Channel.
Below is a portion of the review from CHRISTMAS TOWN, which is nominated for a GRACE PRIZE® TELEVISION and an EPIPHANY PRIZE® FOR INSPIRING TELEVISION PROGRAM
For the full review, click here
CHRISTMAS TOWN very well may be one of the best Hallmark Christmas movies to date. “Christmas Town” is the nickname of Grandon Falls, a small town where a father purchases an angel tree topper for his daughter, 6-year-old Lauren. Lauren and her father are decorating the Christmas tree when he suddenly experiences a bout of dizziness and breaks the angel. He reassures her he’ll get it fixed straight away by shipping it to Grandon Falls. Sadly, Lauren’s father dies just after Christmas, orphaning Lauren and leaving her with the angel’s wing.
Several years later, Lauren is all grown up and about to move from Boston to Springfield, Mass., for a teaching position. When her train must make a sudden stop in Grandon Falls, Lauren hops off for what she thinks will just be the night. At the Grandon Falls train station, Lauren meets a handyman named Travis, who’s fostering a boy named Dylan. Dylan is always giving away his coat to someone in need, particularly to children from the neighboring town of Rocklin. Rocklin recently experienced a disaster, and many of the residents have relocated to Grandon Falls for the time being.
Lauren is smitten with the town, and what was supposed to be a one-night stay stretches into weeks. She begins to befriend the townspeople and even picks up a temporary job at the local café. At the café, she discovers a picture of her father more than 25 years ago, holding the angel she thought she’d lost forever. Thus, Lauren embarks on a quest to find the angel. Lauren also has a series of letters her father managed to have delivered after his untimely death that remind her of the value of faith and hope in trying times.
CHRISTMAS TOWN is a joyful, inspiring movie that draws viewers into the heart of the season. The movie contains a strong Christian, biblical worldview, featuring many overt references to Christianity, including nativity jokes and one reference to Scripture. When the town goes caroling, they sing “Silent Night,” instead of many secular songs often used in movies. Dylan prays to the Lord and lives out his Christian faith by clothing those in need. The Salvation Army is featured prominently, with both a bell ringer and a clothing drive set up to help the Christian charity. The acting is effortless and wonderful, allowing viewers to be swept into the heartwarming Grandon Falls village. The precious storyline in CHRISTMAS TOWN puts romance on the backburner and allows Lauren to connect with the foster boy, Dylan, in a refreshing twist.
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