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By Wilbur (Will) Burns
“A Christmas Miracle” is an inspirational drama as heartwarming as the fireplace you curl up near to watch. The script is brilliantly written to draw the characters in to a series of miraculously healing encounters. The female lead Rose Collins {Susan Sarandon} is a lonely mature woman with a penchant for choosing the wrong guy. After a disappointing date with her co-worker, who she rightly spurns as a player, she goes for a solitary walk, when she peers longingly through a window at a Christmas party she longs to join. Unsure who Rose is, the revelers seem to welcome her. She meets Nina Vasquez {Penelope Cruz} in the parlor room and they strike up a conversation about their troubled romances. Rose feels comfortable and at home till she finds all the places filled at the Christmas dinner table. Mortified, she hurriedly makes a dash for it, when she is pursued by Nina, who feels bad for her. Discovering that they both feel out of place, they decide to visit a nearby cafe to commiserate about the hopeless state of their love lives.
In another scene, Nina stands on the sidewalk when a cop in a patrol car named Mike Reilly offers her a ride. It soon becomes obvious that Mike is motivated by the sexy and ravishing Hispanic beauty rather than Good Samaritan conduct. And who could blame him, especially after Nina’s flirtatious dance back at his apartment, where she enticed him into a tango that makes him late for work. Not surprisingly, a cruise around the block soon turns into a roll in the hay, and the pair find themselves getting serious after the first date. The only problem is that Mike is understandably intensely jealous of other guys ogling Nina or giving her the least sign of attention. So when he drops her off at work, he can’t help noticing the warm embrace she shares with a male co-worker. This prompts him to pay her a visit after work, where he finds her once again in an intimate embrace with the same guy. Unable to control his emotions, Mike pushes Nina’s male companion into the Christmas tree, knocking them both over. Shocked, Nina is infuriated by Mike’s possessiveness and orders him to back off. Recognizing that Mike’s a loose cannon that could easily go off on them again, Nina’s friend confides that he’s gay and makes his exit so the lovers can work things out. Nina insists Mike stop his jealous outbursts and back off. “Give me some space,” she insists, “so I can breathe.” Mike apologizes and makes his exit.
In the next scene, Mike meets his partner at a cafe cum bakery, where they are served by Artie {Alan Arkin}, a senior who seems interested in Mike, and even seems to know his favourite type of cookie. Artie won’t leave him alone and comes begging the next day for ten minutes of Mike’s time, so he can explain his attraction to him. The story soon comes out that Artie recognizes Mike as the reincarnation of his deceased wife. Initially, this is too much for Mike, who ends up telling Artie off. Just then, Mike’s partner shows up with a couple of floozies, but Mike censures him for bad timing, sending them on their way. Blaming Artie unfairly for messing up his relationship with Nina, Mike pushes Artie, who collapses in the street from an apparent heart attack.
Feeling guilty for hurting the harmless old coot, Mike rushes Artie to emergency at the hospital, where he waits on him in the ICU dotingly till he regains consciousness. While waiting, Artie’s son arrives to check on his father’s condition. Guessing why Mike is there, Artie’s son asks him if his father told Mike he’s the reincarnation of his mother. Then Artie’s son spills the beans on his father’s past. He recounts how his Dad came home to find his mother with another man. Convinced she was having an affair, Artie went off on the guy who ended up falling to his death. Artie was charged with manslaughter over the incident and did time. However, it gets worse. Artie’s wife drove off in a fury and suffered a car accident, where she was pronounced dead at the scene. The son explains how his father can’t let go and blames himself for his wife’s death. Mike appears to have an epiphany, recognizing how dangerously close he is to repeating Artie’s fate.
Meanwhile, Rose visits her mother, who suffers from dementia, at the hospital. Rose’s mother won’t eat, and no amount of coaxing will get her to eat a morsel. The doctor Matthew confides that he’s worried about Rose’s mother not eating, and insists that, if she doesn’t eat something soon, they’ll be forced to insert a feeding tube. Rose notices a lonely patient in a vegetative condition in the next room. Empathizing with the poor soul, she calls out, “I love you.” She even places a figurine of an angel in the patient’s window. It is then that she notices the patient’s visitor {Robin Williams} seated in a chair. He appears to be touched by Rose’s concern for a complete stranger.
Rose returns to her mother’s hospital room sometime later with a miniature Christmas tree and some food. But when her mother still refuses to eat and the Christmas tree won’t even light up properly, she pitches the tree in frustration and goes out for a walk. Walking long the riverbank, she walks to the edge and appears perilously close to either falling or jumping in. Just then she notices she has company, the same stranger from the hospital room {Williams}, standing next to her. All alone on Christmas Eve, he invites her to share the evening with him. When he complains about chronic pain in his stomach, she suggests they go back to her place, where she serves him a cup of eggnog. As they converse, he persuades her to let him stay the night to keep her company. They later fall asleep near one another on separate couches. When he attempts to give Rose advice, it’s too close to home and Rose orders him to leave. He calls over his shoulder, “I love you Rose” on the way out. Seeing her mistake, Rose goes after him.
Back at the hospital, Artie comes out of his coma to find Mike standing there. On an impulse, Mike decides to play along as the reincarnation of Artie’s wife. “I forgive you, Artie. It’s over now,” Mike says. This appears to have the intended cathartic effect on Artie. Seeing this, Mike kisses his friend on the forehead and departs, just as Artie’s son returns to check on her father.
When Rose returns, she finds the doctor with her mother feeding her, something of a miracle in itself. As the doctor feeds the poor dear, he asks her she thinks about him taking Rose out on a date. Overhearing the doctor, Rose asks him if he means it. It is at this point that Rose discovers his name, Matthew, so they are now on a first name basis. When Rose asks her mother what she thinks about her dating the doctor, her mother squeezes her hand tightly, the first sign of genuine communication in months, yet another miracle.
In another touching scene, Mike and Nina attempt to work things out. Having learned a valuable lesson, Mike vows that he’s changed. He then decides to give Nina time to consider. Over his shoulder he says, “Whatever you decide just be happy. That’s what’s most important to me.” The sincerity of his words appears to touch Nina deeply. The next day she comes to visit him at his apartment. “I came to bring your present,” she said. Holding no gift in her hand, we are left to wonder what the gift is. You’d better watch till the end to find out.
‘Brian’s Song’ Will Play Forever
By Will Burns
If you grew up in the 1970s, you’re sure to remember “Brain’s Song.” It’s a true story about two
teammates with the Chicago Bears. It reminds us that there are no racial or cultural boundaries to love and
friendship. Brain Piccolo {James Caan} and Gale Sayers {Billy Dee Williams} are teammates and best
friends, pushing each other and helping each other succeed as athletes.
When Gale is sidelined by a knee injury, Brian takes over his position as running back. Not happy to be
taking his best friend’s position, Brian feels compelled to assist Gale with physical therapy, training with
him daily till he recovers and gets his position back.
No sooner does Gale recover from his injury than Brian is benched for a decline in performance. Unsure
what the problem is, the coach encourages him to get a medical checkup. The coach soon receives the
news from the doctor and asks Gale to break the news to the team. Gale calls the team into a huddle in the
locker room and confides that Brian is sick and may never play football again. The news hits the Bears
hard, but no one harder than Gale, who fights back tears as he breaks the news.
An operation is scheduled to remove part of Brian’s lung due to the presence of a cancerous tumor. The
doctors are hopeful they’ve caught it in time, and Brian starts dreaming about changing his position to
team punter, thinking it doesn’t require much wind or stamina. No stranger to struggle and adversity,
Brian refuses to throw in the towel. Instead, he looks for an alternative so he can keep his dream of paying
with the Bears alive.
However, the grim truth is that the operation failed to remove all the cancerous issue, and a second
operation is scheduled, presumably to remove most if not all of one lung. Gale and the two wives stay
with Brian in the ICU. Gale attempts to comfort his friend, but can see that Brian is severe pain, a sign
that the cancer is quite advanced and that Brian’s time is short.
When an award ceremony is held, Gale receives an award for the player with the most courage. He is
honoured to receive the award, but talks about his his friend Brian Piccolo is the one most deserving of
the award, as he shows courage 24/7, presumably referring to his battle with cancer, which is around the
clock.
In the film credits, we learn that Brian eventually succumbed to cancer, but that his teammates and friends
do not remember him for how he died, but rather how he lived. This is a man who clung to life till the
very end and celebrated every facet of his life with his adoring wife and three children. It’s a truly
memorable story that stays with you s if Brian was someone you knew. It’s a testimony to James Caan’s
great acting performance that we remember Brian so well.
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