MovieChat Forums > One Magic Christmas (1985) Discussion > This film was HORRIBLE!!!

This film was HORRIBLE!!!

posted 16 years ago by Trs4FrsFanatic
47 replies | jump to latest

First, I love Christmas movies. I recorded this off of the Hallmark channel a few days ago, I can't believe I sat thorugh this CRAP of a movie. The film was SO FRIGGING dark, it was harldy enjoyable. The actors looked like they were as bored as can be and the story was way to depressing. There are way too many loose ends that are never explained and the film does not deliver in it's ending. I was shocked to hear all of the positive reviews for this film but to each his own. The best Christmas movie to come out recently has been The Polar Express. Steer clear from this one folks!

[–] christremere 16 years ago

To each their own, and I've heard a lot of negative about the Polar Express. I own it, and have tried to watch it three times but got bored and shut it off.

[–] smithduke 16 years ago

Agree!. I personally loved this movie. Like you said to each their own. I totally agree with you about Polor Express. Uggg!! Boring!

[–] Neuro99 15 years ago

Agree about Polar Express(horribly disappointing), One Magic Christmas was pretty sad but the movie had a special feeling. I enjoyed it.

Jesse Ventura, our new hope

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tONyd5lLp50

[–] YankeeDood 9 years ago

Yeah, most kids don't like The Polar Express, it's for us adults who are nostalgic.

Bruce Lee was real. Batman was never real.

[–] vega-37 15 years ago

The expression is "to each HIS own" or "to each HER own". Not "to each THEIR own", and most certainly not "to each THERE own" (that's just the wrong form and spelling of the word!)

[–] christremere 15 years ago

Thanks,
I do know the difference between their and there, but obviously was not paying attention when I typed my response.

[–] vega-37 15 years ago

I wasn't just talking to you, I promise. Everyone was making the same mistake. Spelling and grammar on this site in general are horrible, and in my opinion, when opinions are expressed badly, they do not have as much impact. Didn't mean to criticize too much. :)

[–] cluvonj 15 years ago

Yeah it really cracks me up on any kind of message board how people criticize others for punctuation, sentence struture, spelling. Why does that matter. Sure if its hard to understand but if one can make out what someone is saying why correct them. I also often mispell because IM typing fast and really dont care to go back and spent hrs of precious time correcting spelling just for a message board of people I dont even know. Why people consider some things that important. THe movie shows what is more important, the value of human life such as her husband and her children, not about correct spelling lol.

[–] 15 years ago

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[–] biggusdickus-1 14 years ago

Personally, I place zero value on the opinions of those who can't be bothered to spell and punctuate properly, as such inattention clearly suggests a corresponding lack of intellectual rigor and personal integrity. ("THe movie," indeed — HAW!)

--Big Gus

[–] SpitfireIXB 14 years ago

biggusdickus-1, I'm with you on this.

You are what you write.

If you can't spell, you can't read or write and if you can't read or write, you're illiterate and ignorant. How you communicate reveals your intellectual capacity for critical thought. If your written messages are jumbled, confused and misspelled, then your thoughts and ideas are likely to be the same and may be considered worthless. The excuse that the writer is too busy, too tired or doesn't want to waste his time to write properly is lame and really an insult. If a writer doesn't have time to write properly, he is not presenting his ideas logically and his drivel is cluttering up the message boards. He should stay off them.

What upsets me most is that many people using these message boards appear not to be able to read or write effectively or to think rationally. Many are incoherent. If this is the state of education and the level of intellectual capacity in North America, then we are all doomed.

"Who, being loved, is poor?" (Oscar Wilde)

[–] cluvonj 8 years ago

I can understand that on some really important conversations, but on a message board forum like this, I just read to share a common interest or express an opinion on a movie or TV show or actor. It is not a big deal to me if the people on here have every word and every punctuation mark. There are all kinds of people that come here. Not all are educated, but to dismiss their opinions or thoughts due to their few misspellings or leaving out punctuation I think is missing out on sharing with everyone. If one only wants to chat with super intelligent people, then don't come on these boards because like I said there are people from all walks of life. I have seen some on here who make no sense and are very confusing. Yes on those I agree. They need to be written better. Others where it is one or two words wrong or they use a different form of the word incorrectly, well if I can tell what they are saying it does not matter to me. I am not a teacher grading them. I am just reading on a forum.

[–] cluvonj 8 years ago

Well like I said if one can read something and tell what they are saying on a message board then it is not a big deal to me. There are some that are really bad where you can't make out what they are trying to say and I can understand on those but for a word here and there misspelled or not using punctuation, I don't have a problem with it. I know several smart intelligent people that graduated in the top of their class or were on the President's or Dean's lists in college that on forums type and misspell words etc so it does not always determine something about the person as that other poster stated.

[–] liscarkat (16434) 4 months ago

It's an informal forum, dickhead, not a term paper. Lighten up.

[–] liscarkat (16434) 4 months ago

[deleted]

[–] R_Kane (15828) 4 months ago

It matters because if the poster can’t be bothered to write, I can’t be bothered to read.

[–] YankeeDood 16 years ago

I love The Polar Express, but this one is a good adult holiday movie. The ending certainely was not depressing and it had fine acting unlike other cheesy holiday movies on Hallmark.

-L31

[–] Starangel_tc 16 years ago

I completely disagree.
One magic Christmas is wonderful...it brings tears to my eyes EVERY time I see it. Not all movies can do that.
There is something very special about it, whenever I look back at my childhood, this movie always comes to mind.

*Love like there is no tomorrow*

[–] Lets_talk_about_that 16 years ago

This is my favorite Christmas film. It is quite "dark" but that's what makes it incredibly moving.
To each their own, I guess... Happy Holidays.

[–] zandy31 16 years ago

People who enjoyed The Polar Express will most likely not enjoy this movie. I watched about 5 minutes of TPE and it was so bad I had to turn it off. Watching creepy 3D mannequin cartoons with no personality is not my cup of tea. I agree that OMC is quite dark and real by today's standards but I don't consider that a bad thing. However, if your children are used to the sugary cavity-inducing sweetness (or extreme cynicism) of today's films, you might want to skip this.

[–] djvpool 16 years ago

Love this movie. Watch it every time it is on. Certainly not for the very young, but it reminds you about what the important things in life are. Counting your blessings among the ordinary is sometimes hard... this movie always makes me cry, and is one of my favorite holiday films. The acting is wonderful, from the youngest to the oldest.

[–] OlLineRebel 16 years ago

Disagree. I can see how people wouldn't like it, being heavy and all that (very negative mother, robbing, killing, etc). And it seems more like a made-for-TV show than a high-class theater project. But overall it's a great story about having a better outlook on life and not tearing everything down.

I liked that the MOTHER was the scrooge in this story, and the father the good-hearted cheerful 1. It was different, for a change, to see the male in a good light and the female be the mugwump.

As for Polar Express - way too long, and resultingly, boring.

[–] gabrielle5076 16 years ago

I remember seeing this in 1985 when it was released. I thought then it was dark and too sad. Fastforward to now and it's one of my top 5 Christmas movies, has been for the past 15+ yrs. I now love it's dark and sad story. It's all wiped away in the last scene when Ginny sees Santa. That glowing, warm smile lights her face and for the first time we hear her say, "Merry Christmas". And it's from the heart.

Merry Christmas
Gabby

[–] 16 years ago

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[–] Rockershowone660 16 years ago

I remember this movie well from when I first saw it around 20 years ago (it was featured on the Disney Channel which as many of you know was sooooooooooo different then) and think it was pretty good. I have to ask you though what exactly were ALL of these loose ends? The only one I can point out off-hand was that man Harry's son Frankie and how he dropped him off at the bus station before commiting a bank robbery, and then we never learn what happened to Frankie after thought. Presumably he stayed at the bus station until eventually the police were notified and he was taken by social services to be adopted. Other than that loose end though what were all the others?

Long live the 80's!

[–] kchand8 16 years ago

I liked Polar Express but One Magic Christmas has a magical nostalgic feel that makes it special to me. I don't remember feeling the movie was too dark or depressing as a child. The dad does come back and there's a happy, if unrealistic ending.

[–] cluvonj 15 years ago

Well that wouldnt be a loose end for the man didnt really die. That was all in her imagination. We find that out at the end when she see her husband who only just walked around the block from before all this happened so her mind was somehow transformed by this angel and so forth to bring her back to the Christmas spirit she had as a child so it was made realistic to her. Was it a dream, maybe but then the ending with Santa makes it seem that only part of it was a dream. So that part of it of what was real and what was not real was not explained very clearly. THe girl going to the north pole and gettnig the letter, well was that real or was that part of the dream and the ending with Santa was real for he had brought back to her the memory of her love of Christmas in childhood in this "Dream".

[–] ScootFla 8 years ago

Responding to an old comment, but what happened (the robbery, death, kids being feared dead) was not a "dream". The mom obviously couldn't have dreamed her daughter's own experiences in the North Pole or Gideon being outside in the tree or near the sleigh playing the harmonica. The best interpretation is that those events WERE just an alternate form of reality to get the mom back into the spirit of Christmas (in a weird, twisted way). The only two loose ends are:

1. What if the daughter had dropped the letter or not told her mom about it? Would the dad still be dead?

2. How does mom explain the extra presents under the tree from Santa when all the money they had in the bank ($5,000) was just given to her husband as a startup for the bicycle shop?