Miracle at Christmas Comes at the Behest of a Herald
By Will Burns
The film opens on Christmas morning with Mary (Erin Bethea), a mother lying in bed, despondent and reluctant to celebrate the holiday. Her children protest, urging her to join the joy of gift-giving, so her husband, James (Jason Burkey), goes to fetch her. Using his powers of persuasion, James gently urges Mary to pull herself together for the kids' sake.
The children first present their parents with a thoughtful gift: a framed picture of them as newlyweds, which brings a tear to Mary’s eye. James follows this with tickets for a holiday package for two. However, when Mary reads the date, she becomes distraught. The family had received a grim prognosis from the doctor—James’s illness gave him an eighteen-month life expectancy, making the holiday plans seem tragically out of reach.
While James and the children leave for church, Mary stays behind, ostensibly to prepare Christmas dinner for the extended family. At church, James is introduced to Harry (Brett Varvel), a stranger from out of town with no one to celebrate Christmas with. James compliments Harry on his singing, inquiring if he is a professional. Harry’s impeccable manners, anachronistic vocabulary, and almost too-good-to-be-true kindness make James wonder if the man is even human.
The Miracle Begins
When Harry accepts the invitation to join the family, the miracle truly begins. Upon being introduced to Mary’s brother, Peter (James Pilachosky), and his Hispanic girlfriend, Gabby (Jacquelin Yunez), Harry tries out his Spanish on Gabby with impeccable fluency. Everyone is in awe when Harry speaks Spanish as flawlessly as he does English.
If that isn’t enough, he proves himself an able quarterback when the family heads to the yard for a football scrimmage. Presenting himself as a novice, everyone is shocked when he throws the football "out of the park," setting off a car alarm when the ball strikes the windshield of a car in the parking lot.
Tensions rise in the kitchen when Mary starts squabbling with Peter. When her brother defends himself, Mary snaps, blaming her lack of holiday spirit on her father’s death and her husband’s grim prognosis. Fearing she will soon be left a widow with three children, she springs the news of her pregnancy upon everyone in a surprising outburst. Realizing her behavior has gotten out of hand, she soon initiates a "hug-fest" with Peter, her mom, husband, and children.
The Herald's Farewell
No sooner is the hug-fest over than five carolers come to the door. They sing a touching rendition of "Star of Wonder, Star of Night" and "Joy to the World" and then depart. Mary expresses the wish that they had stayed to sing her deceased husband’s favorite, "Hark the Herald Angels Sing." They head inside only to see Harry already starting his flawless rendition of the beloved Christmas hymn. How apropos, since Harry is revealed to be an angelic herald after all.
With the miraculous events of the day improving the family’s outlook, they ask after Harry, only to be told that he left, leaving behind a card for Mary. When Mary reads it, she is instructed to go into the other room to fetch a "memento" he has left for her. When she sees the broken newlywed photo that she had accidentally damaged, now fully restored and perfectly intact, she realizes they are privy to yet another miracle. The letter reads:
“I leave you this restored gift as a token, ever to remind you that ours is a mighty God for whom nothing is impossible, including the mending of the broken hearts of those suffering from loss and sorrow. He who sacrificed His son to save the lost will never leave or forsake you.”
Amen.
Christmas for Three' Is a Heartwarming Treat for the Holidays
Will Burns
This indie film, full of touching moments, is the perfect treat for the holidays.
When young Jason Lancaster (Jasper Burger) tragically loses his parents in an accident, he enters the care of social services. His dedicated social worker, Sophie Walker (Ashley Brinkman), becomes concerned when none of the prospective foster parents seem to be the right fit for him. Sophie discovers that Jason’s parents had chosen Benito (Mario Silva) as the boy's godfather should anything happen to them.
Sophie brings Jason to Benito’s home, dropping the news on him suddenly. Benito, an independent-minded bachelor, is initially reticent to take on such a massive responsibility. However, out of loyalty to Jason’s father—his best friend since school days—Benito is persuaded to adopt the boy, whose cute, likable disposition soon begins to win him over.
Complications and Conflict
Anxious to experience the family bonding he once had, the boy quickly begins playing matchmaker, hoping to lure Sophie into his foster father's life. Though initially embarrassed by Jason’s repetitive refrain, the social worker and the foster parent eventually share a kiss in a private moment.
Matters quickly become complicated, however, because Sophie’s workplace has strict policies against care workers becoming romantically involved with client families. To make matters worse, Sophie is being sexually harassed by her male boss, Aaron Schmidt. Wishing to have Sophie all to himself, Aaron explicitly forbids her from seeing Benito and Jason outside of work.
Fearing for her job security, Sophie tells Benito that the case is officially closed and she won't be able to see them anymore. Seized by bitterness at what he perceives as a personal rejection, Benito takes the news badly, and the couple has a serious fight. Unfortunately, Benito’s harsh words about the situation are overheard and misunderstood by Jason.
.jpg)
A Touching Reconciliation
Believing that he is unwanted and feeling abandoned by his deceased parents and grandparents, and now his foster parent and Sophie, Jason runs away and hides out in a shed near Benito’s inherited family home. Frantic, Benito goes into panic mode, desperately searching for the boy. In his desperation, he calls Sophie, who immediately races over to help.
Then, a realization hits Benito: Jason’s father had taught them both how to pick locks when they were boys, and Benito guesses his friend passed on the trick to his son. Luckily, Benito’s instincts prove correct, and he finds Jason hiding inside the shed.
When Jason expresses his profound sadness over repeated instances of abandonment, Benito gently commiserates with the boy. The foster parent and child share a touching moment of bonding, which Sophie happens to witness when she finds them together. The three lonely souls exchange heartfelt apologies and end up in a warm embrace.
Christmas and Comeuppance
On Christmas morning, the new family exchanges gifts. Sophie is deeply touched when Benito and Jason present her with a locket containing their pictures, so she can always carry them close to her heart. When Sophie apologizes for not having a present for Benito, he protests that they have already given him the best gift ever , family.
Meanwhile, furious at being spurned, Sophie’s boss, Aaron, reports her to their director, Midge (Naomi Matsuda), accusing Sophie of breaking the rules by dating her client. Denying the allegation, Sophie becomes outraged, protesting that Aaron has been sexually harassing her ever since he was transferred to their branch office.
Just when we brace for Midge to fire Sophie, Midge suddenly announces that this news, combined with two other complaints from the office party, makes it clear that Aaron is the one to be terminated. Sophie is instead instructed to move into the director’s office she has just received a promotion. The "creep" Aaron retreats with "tail between his legs," having finally received his comeuppance.
We are left wondering how the couple will maintain their relationship while navigating Sophie’s strict office rules, but we can safely guess that the 'Three for Christmas' will soon be the 'Three for a Lifetime.' It’s a sure bet that their New Year's resolution will be a wedding announcement, solidifying their new family. We can only have faith that love will conquer all and make things right at Sophie’s social services office.
