“What is Your Center?”

This question was asked by North (Santa) of the mischievous Jack Frost in Rise of the Guardians. (Not to be confused with Legend of the Guardians, a movie about owls. I’m hoping I, myself, can get it straight after writing this article!) According to North, a person’s center is what makes them eligible as a guardian of children. He demonstrates to Jack what his own center is. He grabs a nesting doll and Jack opens it to reveal all the different facets that make up the man, North. With each doll, Santa is:

• Intimidating
• Jolly
• Mysterious
• Fearless
• Caring

In the last tiny doll, we see a baby with huge blue eyes. This, according to North, is Wonder. He dances around the room explaining that he has big eyes full of wonder. Eyes that only see the wonder in everything. Wonder is what he puts in children—what makes him a guardian.

You can see this scene by clicking here. 

The other guardians' centers are:

• Easter bunny – Hope
• Tooth fairy – Memories
• Sandman – Dreams 

Throughout the movie we watch as Jack discovers himself. He starts out as a mischievous ice imp who thinks a Snow Day is the best thing ever, and is jealous that children believe in Santa, the Easter Bunny, Sandman, and the Tooth Fairy—even the evil Boogie Man—but not in him. They look right through him; he is invisible to them because they do not believe.

His journey is to find out who he is. Through a memory of his tooth, (okay, even I thought this was a stretch, but if you’ve seen the movie, this makes sense,) he realizes he was a human boy once. He loved his family, particularly his little sister. One day when they were skating on the ice, they hit a thin patch that starts to crack under her feet. She was petrified with fear. Jack encouraged his sister by telling her that getting off the ice would be just like playing hop scotch. This helped her to move and he was able to reach out with the stick he’d been playing with and fling her to safety. However, his selfless act put him in danger and he fell through the ice.

Fast-forward through the rest of the movie where Pitch, the Boogie Man, is turning all the children’s dreams into nightmares and snuffing out their belief in the guardians. We come to the scene where it finally dawns on Jack what his center is. Pitch has him, the guardians, and Jamie, the last boy on earth to believe in the guardians, boxed into an alley. As Pitch advances to finish off his mission, Jack assures Jamie that everything will be okay. Then he remembers how he had used a game for his sister to save her from falling through the ice. He creates a snowball in his hand and throws it in Pitch’s face mid-threat. This shocks Pitch and makes everyone start to laugh. Jack knows now that he is the guardian of Fun. He rallies the other children and they defeat Pitch with a good, old-fashioned snowball fight. Even the Boogey Man is no match for a child intent on having fun.

Writer Application

How can we find the “center” of our characters? If you search out the center, you will find who they are at the core of their being, and this in turn will help them discover what their own strengths are. You might argue that Jack’s center is heroism, but all of the guardians have that—yet each one has their own unique center.

The center of a character’s being can help you determine who they are. Michael Hague, story and script consultant, calls this their essence. To determine their essence, you must also determine their identity. On his Story Mastery website, (which I highly recommend,)  Hague has a list of questions to ask of your characters. Number twelve and thirteen on that list are:

What is the hero’s identity – what protective persona keeps the hero from facing and overcoming their emotional fear?

What is the hero’s essence or truth? Who would he be if his identity was stripped away? In other words, who does he have the potential to become, if he’s courageous enough?

Jack’s identity is his mischievousness. He’s been having “fun” for three hundred years, often at other’s expense. This is what he uses to protect his true essence.

In the end, we see Jack’s essence is his ability to protect the children by removing their fears through fun and games. This is who Jack Frost is. The guardian of Fun.

Once he embraces his true center, the children can see him now, and he is no longer alone.

Following Jack’s Lead…

Something Fun!

If you want to know what your center is, there’s a fun quiz at Quizilla. My center, according to the above quiz is…drumroll…

IMAGINATION

You are something else altogether! Your center is Imagination! This is a result that is very rare and difficult to have because it is a balance of all the other centers: Fun, Memories, Wonder, Hope, and Dreams. You cannot have Imagination without these combined! You are strange and mysterious, and very wise. Others don't always understand you or your motives, but in the end, you are usually right. You prefer to fight for the right cause, rather than the easiest and you defend the imaginations of children.

Pretty cool for a writer! Don’t you agree? To see what I look like as a guardian click here. I am beautiful!

Oz the Great and Powerful–A Review

Went to see Oz the Great and Powerful today. The story is how Oscar Diggs, (who bills himself as Oz the Great and Powerful, a carnival magician in 1905 Kansas,) finds himself in a balloon and ultimately in a strange and beautiful land.

Since this is a review, I’ll be careful not to mention spoilers, but I would like to say that Oz’s character arc is believable. (The character arc is defined: Characters begin the story with a certain viewpoint and, through events in the story, that viewpoint changes. - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Character_arc.) I like it when characters evolve in a natural way, without intrusive contriving from the author. Just as an example—The Avengers. LOVE the movie, but how did the Hulk go from an out-of-control bashing machine who needed a containment room on board that very cool flying laboratory, to a very in-control team player? Hmm?

But back to Oz. Can’t say I’m much of a fan of James Franco, but he did a passable job as a conman. IMDb mentions in their trivia section that both Robert Downey, Jr. and Johnny Depp had been asked to do that role. Upon reflection, I think either of them would have been too good. Both actors are very comfortable playing it over the top.

Oz, however, starts out as a carnival performer who, as his character, tries to play it over the top. Think cartoon magician versus David Blaine. The small-in-stature Franco isn’t very convincing as he waves his arms, tries to bellow in a deep voice, and dramatizes his prestidigitation, at which he is fairly good considering the era. This inadequacy, as it turns out, is a good thing when he hits his peak in the character arc.

There were other parts of the movie that I thought went a tad slow, some were overacted by someone other than Franco, (I’ll leave that up to you to figure out who I’m talking about. It might be just me. Oh, and my husband who mentioned it during dinner at Qdoba’s after the movie.)

Overall, I highly recommend Oz the Great and Powerful , and if you can, see it in 3D. If you have little ones who frighten easily, you might want to see it yourself first. There are some moments when you have a fierce, ugly beings suddenly thrust in your face. I loved the prequel aspect and the way Oscar Diggs becomes the Wizard.

 

I give Oz the Great and Powerful 4 out of 5 stars.

Holiday Hallmark Movies

I don’t know about you, but I watched a lot of holiday Hallmark movies this season. A lot. I’m blessed with a husband who likes a good romance as much as I do. Some of these movies were good, some were horrid, and one or two were above par. I would have liked to have known if any of them were worth watching before I spent two hours of my hard earned relaxation time on them.

What constitutes a good Hallmark movie? If it’s a romance, it should clearly show character arcs for both the hero and heroine. I watch for this since I write romance. If the romance isn’t the top biller or non-existent, than I expect it to have a deep plot line, going beyond the clichés.

One of the better movies this season, I thought, was Christmas with Holly. Rated at 6.6 on IMDb, this movie was about a traumatized child who has lost her mother and is suddenly being raised by her uncle. He, along with his two brothers help her heal. What I loved about it was that it wasn’t the usual “Three Men and a Baby” plot line I’ve seen before. The uncle, who is the youngest of the three men, dedicates himself to this little girl wholeheartedly. He never agonizes over having his life flipped upside down by this charming intruder, rather, he champions for her, just as he would his own daughter. The romance was believable as his potential love interest embraces the niece, and his angst over whether she’s sincere is well planted as his current girlfriend has problems with his newfound fatherhood. Yes, this movie is heart-squishy as most Hallmark movies are. But it stood out from the pack because of it’s believability. (Writers: Avoid cliché and make your plot line believable.)

The worst of the pack that I saw was Baby’s First Christmas rated at 5.0. And in my opinion, that was too high. The biggest problem with this movie were the many times I had to say, “They wouldn’t do that!” They continually set up contrived scenes to move the story along.  The whole thing consisted of two lawyers with opposing viewpoints--on everything--that got real tiresome real quick. His sister and her brother get married, so now they have to see each other on holidays. When the married couple go into labor with their second child on Christmas Eve, they hope it is the first born on Christmas Day so they can win a radio contest and get the cash prize to help keep them from being foreclosed upon. During a hectic time for the hero and heroine to get to the hospital with their niece, who they are watching for mom and dad, many--can I say it?--dumb things happen. First there is an apparent blizzard in New York City that keeps the hero and heroine from getting to the hospital. I dunno. There should have been a lot more snow than the movie showed to stop any New Yorker worth their salt. Then, the hero is arrested for chasing down a thief who just snagged a woman’s purse. He is caught with the purse after the thief runs away, but the woman never comes forward to straighten things out. Huh? Then, the heroine bails him out, but they are kicked out of the police station even though they have no way to get to where they’re going because of the wimpy ice storm that has crippled the city. Why is the desk sergeant so mean? I DON’T KNOW! I guess because they had to have a stable scene (yes, a stable scene,) which is where the police horses are kept. During this scene, they start to fall in love. But I don’t care because I’m still mad at the desk sergeant for kicking them out in the cold! There is more. Much more. But you get my point. (Writers: Don’t set up contrived scenes to move your story along. Let them happen organically. If an inner voice is telling you they wouldn’t do that, listen to it!) 

It wasn’t until yesterday that I thought about the rating system on IMDb (Internet Movie Database.) Had I checked out the above movie more thoroughly, I wouldn’t have wasted my time on it. I’ve found IMDb to be pretty close to my own preferences. They rate on a scale of 0-10, and if a movie gets above a 5.5, it’s usually worthy of a look-see.

As my gift to you, below, I have listed all of the holiday Hallmark original movies and Hallmark Hall of Fame presentations from www.hallmarkchannel.com. I’ve included the IMDb movie rating, short synopsis, and who stars in the films.

Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year! And happy movie watching throughout 2013!

Kathy

 

1998

Anne Tyler's Saint Maybe

6.3

A lonely teen troubled by a past family tragedy is suspicious of his sister-in-law, believing she is being unfaithful. His confrontation with his brother sets off a series of tragic events.

Blythe Danner, Edward Herrmann and Melina Kanakaredes

T

A Season For Miracles

7.4

With a little help from an angel, Christmas miracles happen for a homeless family.

Carla Gugino, Kathy Baker and David Conrad

2002

Santa Jr.

5.3

While delivering toys, Santa's son is arrested for trespassing. Dispirited, he turns for help to a public defender.

Lauren Holly, Judd Nelson and Nick Stabile

T

Snow Queen

6.3

A young woman must journey through the seasons to rescue her boyfriend who has been kidnapped by the evil Snow Queen.

Bridget Fonda, Jeremy Guilbaut and Chelsea Hobbs

T

Silent Night

7.8

Fact-based World War II story set on Christmas Eve, 1944, an injured American platoon find themselves in a small German cabin sharing the spirit of the Christmas with their presumed enemies.

Linda Hamilton, Matthew Harbour and Romano Orzari

T

A Christmas Visitor

6.5

A father struggles with the past. A daughter fights for the future. A mother searches for answers. They have not celebrated Christmas in 11 years, ever since they lost their son to the Persian Gulf War. Now a stranger has joined them - around the same age the boy would have been. Is he a con artist? Or is this young man the miracle their family has been waiting for.

William Devane, Meredith Baxter and Dean McDermott

2003

A Carol Christmas

5.1

An egomaniacal TV talk show host is given a chance for redemption in this modern day take on Charles Dicken's classic novel A Christmas Carol.

Tori Spelling, Dinah Manoff and William Shatner

T

Fallen Angel

6.4

When his father dies, Terry returns to the house where he grew up, planning to stay only long enough to clean and settle the estate. Yet something indescribable keeps him there longer than expected. Soon, he is reunited with memories and people from his past and his life is changed forever.

Gary Sinise, Joely Richardson and Gordon Pinsent

2004

Single Santa Seeks Mrs. Claus

5.8

Nick's plan to let fate bring his wife to him must be altered because he must replace his father as Santa Claus on December 26. Ernst, the right-hand man to several generations of Santas, generates a list of potential mates. Nick dutifully sets off to meet them, but fate may have a candidate after all.

Steve Guttenberg, Crystal Bernard and Dominic Scott Kay

T

A Boyfriend for Christmas

6.3

On Christmas Day, Santa brings two lonely people together. But can love overcome deception?

Kelli Williams, Patrick Muldoon and Charles Durning

T

Angel in the Family

5.8

An ailing widowed father and his two estranged daughters experience a miracle when their late matriarch returns to spend Christmas with them.

Meredith Baxter, Ronny Cox and Natasha Gregson

2005

Meet the Santas

5.4

Because she is marrying the man who assumed the mantle of Santa Claus last December 26, Beth's postponed wedding has to be rescheduled for Xmas eve. Overwhelmed by selling the house she and her son share and the prospect of the duties of Mrs. Claus, she has to call on her estranged socialite Grinch of a mother to arrange the wedding. Of course her mom has never met the fiancé nor his family and has no inkling of his secret. This is a sequel to 2004's Single Santa Seeks Mrs. Claus.

Steve Guttenberg, Crystal Bernard and Dominic Scott Kay

T

Silver Bells

6.0

Manhattanite Catherine O'Mara bonds with a young man who has run away from his father. When the father returns to New York a year later to sell his Christmas trees, he and Catherine cross paths.

Anne Heche, Tate Donovan and Michael Mitchell

2006

The Christmas Card

6.7

US soldier visits the town from where an inspirational Christmas card was sent to him by a church group that mails cards out to servicemen as a goodwill effort.

Edward Asner, John Newton and Alice Evans

T

What I Did for Love

5.5

Call him a city slicker. Call him a tenderfoot. But don't call him a member of the family--yet. Rising L.A. lawyer James White is going home for the holidays with his fiancée, Sadie Ryder, to finally meet her family in rural Pine Gap. After blundering through a bad first impression, James attempts to win over Sadie's lawyer-loathing father Karl by pretending to be a horse-riding, hay-baling, game-hunting, seasoned square dancer. But a pair of worn jeans and a ten-gallon hat don't make a cowboy, and it's going to take more than mere posturing to charm Mr. Ryder...in fact, it just may take a miracle.

Jeremy London, Dorie Barton and James Gammon

2007

A Grandpa for Christmas

6.3

Bert is an old-time movie-star singer/ hoofer, who's retired from showbiz and estranged from his daughter and 9-year-old granddaughter, Becca. Bert, about to sell his house and move into a retirement home, suddenly finds himself caring for Becca when her mom is hospitalized - and the bond between the two of them grows.

Ernest Borgnine, Katherine Helmond and Juliette Goglia

T

All I Want for Christmas

5.5

Anxious to help his struggling, widowed mom Sara, 10 year old Jessie enters a national video contest. But Jessie's winning entry, "All I Want for Christmas is a Husband for my Mom," has unforeseen consequences as Sara is vaulted into the national spotlight and dazzled into accepting a proposal from a wealthy man she may not love.

Gail O'Grady, Greg Germann and Robert Mailhouse

T

The Note

6.5

After a tragic plane crash, a local journalist discovers a note that she believes was written by one of the passengers. She seeks the note's intended receiver, but the journey is more revealing of her own past.

Genie Francis, Ted McGinley and Rick Roberts

2008

Moonlight and Mistletoe

5.3

It’s always Christmas in Santaville! But now, tiny Chester, Vermont’s year-round yuletide attraction is losing its widespread appeal. On the verge of bankruptcy, the resident St. Nick is hoping for a Christmas miracle to keep his dream from being bulldozed into another mini mall. Nick Crosby (Tom Arnold) is the owner of Santaville and head Santa. One day he is smiling with visitors, the next, he is juggling a cascading stack of bills, unable to pay the rent and blissfully thinking a solution will magically appear. When his daughter – and onetime Number One elf, Holly (Candace Cameron Bure), returns home, she is shocked to learn of her father’s situation. Holly recruits Peter, Nick’s employee and master wood craftsman, to devise a solution to the money woes.

Tom Arnold, Candace Cameron Bure and Barbara Niven

T

The Christmas Choir

6.2

Based upon a true story of a man who volunteered to work at a homeless shelter and started a choir with its residents.

Jason Gedrick, Tyrone Benskin and Michael Sarrazin

T

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

6.6

(I could find no good short synopsis of this story, but I know it’s about a single mom who has become cynical about Christmas, and her cop father brings home a visitor who helps change her mind.)

Brooke Burns, Henry Winkler and Warren Christie

T

Our First Christmas

5.5

Christmas plans are destined to be ruined when two families come together.

Dixie Carter, Julie Warner and John Ratzenberger

T

A Kiss at Midnight

5.5

They say the cobbler's children go barefoot, but must the matchmaker's children go motherless? After their widower father moves to a new town and sets up a computerized matchmaking business, two girls set out to find a stepmother. They create a dating application in the company computer for him. Then they cull through all new women applicants to hand pick the perfect woman for him and force the computer to match them. They don't know the woman they picked is the proprietor of the old-fashioned matchmaking service in town who is planning to prove the computer matching is incompetent.

Faith Ford, Cameron Daddo and Hal Linden

2009

The National Tree

A teenager has his Sitka Spruce tree chosen to be planted outside the White House as the new national Christmas Tree.

Andrew McCarthy, Evan Williams and Kari Matchett

T

Debbie Macomber's Mrs. Miracle

6.2

Overwhelmed widower Seth Webster is searching for a housekeeper to help him with his unruly six year old twin sons. "Mrs. Miracle" mysteriously appears and quickly becomes an irreplaceable nanny, chef, friend... and matchmaker.

James Van Der Beek, Erin Karpluk and Doris Roberts

T

Christmas in Canaan

6.0

DJ and Rodney don't like each other from the start. Rodney thinks DJ is an ignorant white farm boy, and DJ thinks Rodney acts too smart for his own good. After a school bus scuffle between the two, DJ's father and Rodney's grandmother come up with a clever solution that brings the boys closer than either of them would like. Living in Canaan, Texas in the 1960's does not make it easy for a black boy and a white boy to forge a friendship. It is only amid the magic of an unforgettable Christmas that DJ and Rodney discover a land of milk and honey where hope and love make all the difference.

Billy Ray Cyrus, Tom Heaton and Jaishon Fisher

T

The Three Gifts

5.8

Jack Green inherited a southern Californian horse ranch and an all-natural toy factory in the barn. With his wife Cherie, he accepts taking in the three 'holy terrors' from his bossy aunt Rita's orphanage during renovations, until the holidays. Resourceful Mike and his buddies, Henry and Ray, prove handfuls, but Jack proves father-potential. The trio even goes on best behavior after overhearing the couple considers adopting, but that also means rivaling, resulting in trouble for everyone.

Dean Cain, Jean Louisa Kelly and Mimi Kennedy

2010

The Night Before the Night Before Christmas

5.4

When Santa sets off on his Christmas duties a day early, crashes into the Fox family's house, ends up with amnesia and loses his magic sack of presents, he needs help! But the Fox family are a modern and broken family. Can they help him? The parents are preoccupied with work and the kids aren't very festive. But it's up to them to help Santa find his magical bag of toys and the clock is ticking or Christmas will be ruined. Forced to set their own problems aside and work together the Fox family rediscover how much they enjoy being together and realize that maybe they need to reprioritize their lives. The Night Before The Night Before Christmas is a crazy Christmas fantasy for all the family, brimming with festive spirit.

Jennifer Beals, Rick Roberts and R.D. Reid

T

The Town Christmas Forgot

5.5

An urban family that can’t seem to get along gets stranded in a remote, impoverished lumber town two days before Christmas. When they become involved in the town’s home-grown Christmas pageant, they not only help solve the town’s problems but learn to connect with each other just in time for the holidays.

Lauren Holly, Rick Roberts and Azer Greco

T

Debbie Macomber's Call Me Mrs. Miracle

5.7

No one celebrates the holidays like Emily Merkle (Doris Roberts) – or Mrs. Miracle as she is known by some – who is back to ensure that this Christmas is the most magical and meaningful of all. When Mrs. Miracle appears as a seasonal employee in the toy department at the financially troubled Finley’s Department Store, neither the store’s owners, nor the customers, have any idea of the events that are about to unfold. Just when it seemed Christmas might not come at all this year, Finley’s favorite employee proves they don’t call her Mrs. Miracle for nothing! Also starring Jewel Staite, Eric Johnson and Lauren Holly.

Doris Roberts, Jewel Staite and Eric Johnson

T

The Santa Suit

6.4

Drake Hunter, the president of Hunter Marketing, has the perfect plan to boost sales for his father's toy company over the holiday season--hire department store Santas to promote his father's merchandise. When the real Santa Claus turns Drake into a Santa lookalike, Drake finds himself working as a dress-up Kris Kringle to make ends meet. Stripped of power and position, Drake discovers the importance of honesty, compassion, and respect as he helps an unprivileged girl enjoy the magic of Christmas.

Kevin Sorbo, Jodie Dowdall and Derry Robinson

T

Farewell Mr. Kringle

5.1

Annabelle (Christine Taylor), a widowed journalist, begrudgingly accepts an assignment on Kris Kringle, a Santa Claus impersonator who lives in a small, Christmas-themed town.  To her surprise, Anna is enchanted by Kris and the townspeople who love him.  As her involvement with the town grows, Anna is able to put the past behind her and open herself up to love again.

Christine Taylor, Christopher Wiehl and William Morgan Sheppard

T

The Santa Incident

4.5

Santa is marooned in a small town when his sleigh is mistaken for a UFO. He is rescued by two children and tries to prepare for Christmas while stranded far from the North Pole.  To make sure Christmas isn't ruined this year, Santa must find a way to take flight by Christmas Eve.

Ione Skye, James Cosmo and Jonathan Kerrigan

T

An Old Fashioned Christmas

5.3

The story of An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving, based on a short story by American novelist Louisa May Alcott, continues with An Old-Fashioned Christmas. Isabella and Tilly pay a visit to Ireland, hoping Isabella's long-ago suitor, the Earl of Shannon, can assist Tilly in getting her writing published.

Catherine Steadman, Jacqueline Bisset and Leon Ockenden

T

Three Wise Women

4.4

Liz is a successful, thirty-something doctor who doesn't fully realize she is settling for less than ideal with the man she is about to marry. Her guardian angel travels through time and enlists the help of Liz as both a late teenager and an older woman to steer her clear from making this mistake.

Amy Huberman, Hugh O'Conor and John Rhys-Davies

T

Gift of the Magi

5.0

A newlywed couple burdened with economic hardship decides not to exchange Christmas presents to save money over the holidays.  Secretly, they make sacrifices to buy the other a special gift.

Marla Sokoloff, Mark Webber and Michelle Beamish

T

Battle of the Bulbs

5.6

Bob Wallace makes sure to go all out every year on Christmas decorations so that he can have the brightest and most festive house in his neighborhood. This year, he notices that his new neighbor has put up an even brighter and more lavish display. The fight is on when they declare war for the best Christmas decoration display in the neighborhood.

Daniel Stern, Matt Frewer and Allison Hossack

T

An Old Fashioned Christmas

5.3

The story of An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving, based on a short story by American novelist Louisa May Alcott, continues with An Old-Fashioned Christmas. Isabella and Tilly pay a visit to Ireland, hoping Isabella's long-ago suitor, the Earl of Shannon, can assist Tilly in getting her writing published.

Catherine Steadman, Jacqueline Bisset and Leon Ockenden

T

Cancel Christmas

4.9

Imagine Santa’s (Judd Nelson) surprise when the Christmas Board of Directors issues an ultimatum to holiday’s top Elf: In 30 days or less, make Christmas less commercial and material, or lose it forever. The Board is so sure the turnaround is hopeless that they give Santa the task of changing the hearts of privileged kids so they, in turn, will reach out to help a less fortunate boy. Is Santa's task a daunting one? No more so than making reindeer fly. If ever there was a force for joy, goodness and sharing, it is the mythical man in red. After all, it’s Christmas – believe with all your heart!

Judd Nelson, Justin Landry and Natalie Brown

T

November Christmas

7.2

With the support of his small town, a father’s wish for his very sick daughter is realized.

Sam Elliott, John Corbett and Sarah Paulson

2011

Mistletoe Over Manhattan

5.2

Rebecca, Mrs. Claus (Tedde Moore) is worried that her exhausted, workaholic husband (Mairtin O’Carrigan) has lost his holiday spirit. She believes she can help him recapture his bliss and secretly heads to the one place she knows the spirit of Christmas must still exist: New York City, where she first fell in love with Nick. 

Tricia Helfer, Greg Bryk and Tedde Moore

T

Lucky Christmas

5.4

A terminally unlucky single mother wonders if she will ever be lucky as Christmas approaches.

Elizabeth Berkley, Jason Gray-Stanford and Mitchell Kummen

T

Cancel Christmas

4.9

Santa Claus discovers children have become too greedy and must prove otherwise before his favorite holiday is canceled

Judd Nelson, Justin Landry and Natalie Brown

T

A Christmas Wedding Tail

4.2

When Rusty the Labrador and Cheri the Poodle's owners fall in love, the household is in total chaos, so it's up to the dogs to perform a Christmas Day miracle.

Jennie Garth, Brad Rowe and Tom Arnold

T

The Case For Christmas

5.5

A lawyer finds himself defending Santa Claus in the biggest trial in history.

Dean Cain, Rachel Blanchard and George Buza

T

A Christmas Wish

4.9

When Martha Evans (Kristy Swanson) finds herself homeless with her two young daughters and stepson just a week before Christmas, she puts her trust in a new town full of friendly strangers and prays for the best.

Kristy Swanson, Edward Herrmann and K.C. Clyde

T

Jingle All The Way (Animated)

7.1

A spirited Husky puppy looking for a home at a Christmas tree farm instantly bonds with a young boy visiting with his parents.  As the boy rides away, unable to keep him, the pup escapes and embarks on a snowy journey to find his friend again.

Chad Darrow, Ryan Bley and Jonathan Lipow

T

Debbie Macomber's Trading Christmas

6.2

In this holiday tale about twists of fate, Emily and Charles find love at the most unexpected time and have the best Christmas season ever.

Gil Bellows, Noah Bjorgan and Aren Buchholz

T

A Holiday Engagement

5.4

Always struggling in life and love, Hillary Burns constantly feels the pressure to marry from her demanding mother, Meredith. Finally, this holiday season, she thinks she finally has it right. Hillary assures her meddling mother that her handsome new fiancé is coming to the Burns’ family home for Thanksgiving weekend to finally meet her crazy clan. But when the workaholic lawyer suddenly breaks up with her, Hillary has to scramble to find a replacement or risk facing her mother’s wrath. After posting an ad online, she hires David, an out-of-work actor to pose as her fiancé in front of her mom, her dad and her snobbish sister Trish. Soon, her fake engagement starts to feel real when she begins falling for David. Can Hillary find a way to turn this replacement into the real deal? Or will her overbearing mother find out the truth before the holiday is through?

Bonnie Somerville, Shelley Long and Jordan Bridges

T

A Princess for Christmas

5.6

At the invitation of an estranged relative, a young woman travels with her niece and nephew to a castle in Europe for Christmas where she unwittingly falls for a dashing Prince.

Katie McGrath, Roger Moore and Travis Turner

T

Annie Claus Is Coming To Town

5.1

Santa's daughter Annie Claus travels to Los Angeles in search of love. Little does she know one of Santa's helpers has hired an actor to win Annie over so she leaves the north pole permanently.

Maria Thayer, Sam Page and Randy J. Goodwin

T

The Christmas Pageant

5.4

When a temperamental Broadway director is fired from yet another job, she is forced to direct a community Christmas pageant.

Charlene Amoia, Candice Azzara and C. Stephen Browder

T

Christmas Comes Home To Canaan

5.4

Daniel Burton who takes his disabled son to San Francisco for an operation that may help him walk again. There Daniel meets a beautiful doctor and falls in love, but will their love survive? Sequel to Christmas in Canaan.

Billy Ray Cyrus, Gina Holden and Emily Tennant

T

Christmas Magic

5.6

After a terrible car accident, Carrie Blackford must earn her wings in heaven as a guardian angel to Scott Walker and his daughter Abby. But she might lose her wings when she falls in love with Scott.

Lindy Booth, Paul McGillion and Derek McGrath

T

Love's Christmas Journey

5.2

While mourning the loss of her husband and daughter, recently widowed Ellie King visits her brother Aaron Davis and his children for Christmas. Ellie does her best to enjoy the holidays, making new friends with Mrs. Thompson, a local shop keeper, and handsome admirer Deputy Strode. When Aaron travels out of town to purchase land, Ellie agrees to watch his children, but the season's festivities are threatened when Aaron goes missing.

Natalie Hall, JoBeth Williams and Greg Vaughan

2012

The Christmas Song

5.2

Due to budget cuts, two high school musical teachers face losing their jobs. Their fate is to be decided in a televised city-wide Christmas Carol Contest. While the teen students begin separately, the teams join in a finale that is so impressive that a wealthy alumnus pledges to keep the joint music program going as long as Ken and Amy stay put as teachers.

Gabriel Hogan, Ben Mulroney and Brittany Adams

T

Love At The Thanksgiving Day Parade

5.6

Two rivals must come together to throw the best Thanksgiving Day Parade Chicago has ever seen.

Callum Seagram Airlie, Ben Cotton and Richard Ian Cox

T

The Wishing Tree

5.7

A special Christmas tree decorated with handwritten wishes helps Dennis and his group of orphaned students develop a connection and a sense of family.

Jason Gedrick, Erica Cerra and Carrie Genzel 

T

Matchmaker Santa

6.0

Plans go awry when a mysterious Santa strands a woman with her boyfriend's best friend in a small town.

Lacey Chabert, Elizabeth Ann Bennett and Nikki Hahn

T

It's Christmas, Carol!

5.8

Ruthless tycoon Carol is visited by the ghost of her old boss on Christmas Eve to help change her heartless ways.

Emmanuelle Vaugier, Olivia Cheng and Rebecca Davis

T

Jingle & Bell's Christmas Star (Animated)

6.6

Jingle the Husky Pup is back in his latest holiday adventure, and this time he and his buddy Andrew have some new friends.  A little girl named Sofia and her Husky Pup, Bell, have moved from sunny Palm City to Pineville just before Christmas.  With their world turned upside down, this looks to them like it could be the worst Christmas ever, but with a little help from Jingle and his pal Andrew, Sofia and Bell will soon discover that Christmas isn’t about where you are, it’s about who you’re with.

Sam Adler, Thomas Stroppel and Ryan Bley

T

Naughty or Nice

5.8

When Krissy Kringle finds the magical "Naughty or Nice" book by accident, the discovery changes her life.

Hilarie Burton, Matt Dallas and Danneel Ackles

T

Hitched For The Holiday

5.7

An attractive pair agrees to be each others supposed significant other throughout the holidays to keep their meddling families at bay.

Joseph Lawrence, Emily Hampshire and Linda Darlow

T

A Bride For Christmas

6.0

Jessie has called off three engagements, but when she's pursued by a new suitor, things get complicated.

Arielle Kebbel, Andrew W. Walker and Kimberly Sustad

T

The Christmas Heart

5.8

A family with a son in need of a new heart learns the meaning of miracle at Christmas.

Teri Polo, Paul Essiembre and Samantha Kendrick

T

Come Dance With Me

5.8

When Jack joins a dance class to impress his girlfriend, the dance instructor changes his plans.

Andrew McCarthy, Michelle Nolden and Stephanie Mills

T

Help For The Holidays

7.0

Santa's elf Christine is sent on a special assignment to Los Angeles to help a family in need of a wake-up call.

Summer Glau, Ben C. Adams and John Brotherton

T

Baby's First Christmas

5.0

Two lawyers visit their siblings over the holidays find romance in the middle of Christmas Eve chaos.

Casper Van Dien, Rachel Wilson and Ella Ballentine

T

Christmas With Holly

6.6

Traumatized by her mother's death, a 6-year-old girl stops talking but is cared for by her three uncles. The story unfolds as all of them find the importance of family.

Catherine Bérubé, Wade Carroll and Sean Faris

T

The Christmas Heart

5.8

A family with a son in need of a new heart learns the meaning of miracle at Christmas.

Teri Polo, Paul Essiembre and Samantha Kendrick

T

The Christmas Pageant

5.3

When a temperamental Broadway director is fired from yet another job, she is forced to direct a community Christmas pageant.

Charlene Amoia, Candice Azzara and C. Stephen Browder

Grace in the Line of Fire: The Aurora Theater Shooting

In the midnight hour of Friday last week, a theater in Aurora, Colorado was torn apart in a senseless act of evil. Those who weren’t there began crying out, where was God? But, as stories unfold from those who were there, that question is answered—quite clearly.

As I’ve been watching the news reports, an amazing thing is happening. You always expect to hear the personal stories, the acts of heroism, the fleshing out of the lives lost so that their deaths become even more poignant. But I’ve noticed also that anchors and reporters are coming away with a look of perplexity in their eyes. Or maybe it’s wonder. A Showbiz Tonight reporter (I’m sorry, I don’t know her name) spoke to the victims and their families. She said most of the people told her they were ready to forgive. Forgive? So soon? But that seems to be the overlying blanket, or comforter (capital C?) covering this entire tragedy.

If you are one of those wondering, where was God? please read this article, Where Was God? Miracles in Dark Places,  by Anne Blackburn. It’s a beautifully written piece on God’s Spirit and His ever-present Comforter.  Here is an excerpt:

. . . When the gunman walked into that theatre and started shooting, there was a palpable presence of evil. Oppressive evil. And then, something changed. As people began crying and screaming, they cried and screamed the name of God. The atmosphere changed. An eyewitness said a sense of peace passed over the place as people were praying, and she stopped being afraid. He didn’t run out of bullets; he just…stopped. What stopped him? The media is getting it right this time; they’re calling it evil, not insanity. . .

Several of us in Colorado were touched in some way by this event. I have sat in that theater. I know people who are connected with some of the victims. And, I personally know a mother, Kim Anderson, whose daughter was shot and has miraculously survived due to a defect in her brain. Anne speaks of this in the above mentioned article.

Kim is battling Stage 3 breast cancer while her daughter, Petra, is lying in a hospital bed. A fund has been set up to help with their overwhelming financial distress that these two things have created. If you’d like to help, please go to Ready to Believe: Anderson Relief Fund. Kim and her family spoke to Denver’s 9News. If you want to see grace in the line of fire, you don’t want to miss this!

Rebel With a Cause

This is Memorial Day weekend, so strains of dog fights and screech bombs, rapid gun fire and explosions float from the family room as my husband enjoys yet another weekend of war movies.

I’ve seen a few, though I must admit, what drew me was more the  actors than the action. With its all-star cast, I remember seeing Midway in the drive-in theater when it first came out. Three hours sitting in the front passenger seat and no destination in sight. But I was riveted. Not because of the carnage in front of me, but because this was the first war movie I remembered seeing where the opposite side had a voice.

I didn’t agree with why the Japanese Imperial Navy felt they needed that tiny island, but I appreciated hearing their point of view. They felt the island of Midway would give them the best advantage to totally defeat the US Pacific fleet and put them in prime position for an all out land attack. Listening to their conviction, I began to feel sympathetic with the admirals in charge, even while rooting for my own team.

Years later, when I began to study the craft of writing, I was told that I must make my villains sympathetic. All I could think of were Disney villains who didn’t have an ounce of redeemable quality in them. Cruella Deville who wanted to kill puppies; Lady Tremaine, the quintessential evil step-mother to the innocent Cinderella; Stromboli, who burned his marionettes for firewood when they could no longer perform. Now these are villains! We never knew, nor cared, why they were so evil. Their only job was to make our skin crawl and our tiny throats clench as we cried out in the theater, “Run away, Pinocchio!”

But the Japanese Navy in Midway had, what they felt, a very good reason for defeating the Americans. They pushed their cause to the bitter end. And that is why studying movies such as these can help to strengthen our own antagonists, giving them layers and a purpose for being in our stories.

I always have the GMC, (Goal, Motivation, and Conflict) clear for my main characters. What do they want? Why do they want it? What gets in their way?

Wonder what the GMC is for the Imperial Navy?

• Goal – Take the island of Midway.
• Motivation – It would put them in prime position to totally defeat the Americans.
• Conflict – But a crippled, yet determined, US Pacific fleet, still reeling from the attack on Pearl Harbor only six months prior, stand in their way.

I must admit, answering those questions for my villains were rarely on my top to-do list. But, if we could take the time to figure out what makes these bad boys/girls tick, I believe we’d have a much more compelling story.

 

In honor of Memorial Day, I’d like to include a link to a blog post I wrote in 2009 titled “Thank You For Serving”. It’s a small tribute to the men and women in my family who made the brave decision to join the U.S. military.

The Foreshadow Knows

Kudos and a case of Bengay if you know where that title came from!

Foreshadowing. When you talk about the art of writing, foreshadowing is the fine brush strokes that make the painting pop. It’s the subtle waves on the lake that create moving water. It’s the sunshine on a mountain face to depict a sunrise. It’s the trust placed in a child’s eyes.

Without foreshadowing, our stories would lay flat and motionless.

One of my new favorite movies is Water for Elephants starring Robert Pattinson (Jacob), Reese Witherspoon (Marlena), and Christopher Waltz (August.) I watched it again last night and thrilled at all of the foreshadowing that was woven in. Following are some of the spots I saw:

1. Jacob’s roots:

• He’s the son of Polish immigrants.
• He becomes fast friends with a man named Camel, a worker for the circus, because he also is Polish.
• He unlocks Rosie’s abilities by realizing she only knows Polish commands.

2. Jacob is clearly a moral, gentle soul who would never hurt another living being. Here are the brush strokes to make this clear:

• He wants to be veterinarian.
• He shoots a horse to put it out of its misery.
• He is in torment over being forced to prod Rosie, the elephant, with an iron rod.
• After his tyrannical boss, August, beats Rosie with the prod, he grabs it and goes after him to beat him as well. But as angry as he is, he just can’t do it.
• He runs away with Marlena, August’s wife. When she is caught and forced to return, Jacob, bent on protecting her from her husband’s abuse, holds a knife to his neck while he’s sleeping. But even then, he can’t take this man’s life.

3. Jacob is held back physically:

• When Rosie is being beaten by August.
• When Marlena is being strangled by August.

4. Marlena calms August twice by looking in his eyes and saying, “I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere.” :

• However, she leaves him in the end, which makes that foreshadowing even more poignant.

5. Rosie’s cool trick:

• Removes stake from ground so she can walk over to drink from the lemonade bowl.
• Removes stake from ground so she can swing it at August’s head and kill him.

6. And speaking of August, his role as villain was delightfully painted with foreshadowing:

• In the beginning, he is so clearly god of his own domain (a second-rate circus) that he doesn’t even show his face to Jacob when he first meets him.
• He has his goons throw men off of the train to avoid paying them. Most of the time they die.
• Shows potential violence toward his wife, Marlena, when he grabs her chin and hurts her.
• Prods Rosie until she bleeds.
• Beats Rosie with the prod until she can’t stand.
• Is sadistic when he makes Jacob and Marlena act out a “scene” he’s thought of about two people falling in love, simply because he knows now that really have.
• Hits Marlena after what happened above.
• Orders his goons to beat Jacob after he runs off with Marlena.
• Throws Jacobs friends off the train, where they die on rocks, because they supported him.
• Strangles Marlena in an uncontrollable rage, and would have succeeded in killing her had it not been for Rosie and her cool trick with the spike.

Not every story foreshadows . . . but the good ones do. Whenever possible, I watch for those scenes when I view a movie for the second, or third time. As a result, I’ve learned to go back after I’ve written the first draft and layer these opportunities in.

Jesus in Film

As we move into the holy season, let’s explore some of the movies that depict the life of our Lord, Jesus Christ. I’ve included two lists, one from a noted Christian viewpoint and one from a secular. It’s interesting to see the similarities, but the contrasts may help the evangelical author to understand a wider audience. I have bolded the ones that appear on both lists.

According to Christianity Today, here are the top ten of the most popular movies of all time:

1. The Life and Passion of Jesus Christ (1902-05)
2. The King of Kings (1927)
3. The Gospel According to St. Matthew (1964)
4. The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965)
5. Godspell (1973)
6. The Messiah (1976)
7. Jesus of Nazareth (1977)
8. Jesus (1999)
9. The Miracle Maker (2000)
10. The Passion of the Christ (2004)

TIME Entertainment lists these:

1. The King of Kings (1927)
2. King of Kings (1961)
3. The Gospel According to St. Matthew (1964)
4. Godspell ( 1973)
5. Gospel Road (1973)
6. Jesus of Nazareth (1977)
7. Monty Python’s Life of Brian (1979)
8. The Last Temptation of Christ (1988)
9. The Passion of Christ (2004)
10. South Park: Fantastic Easter Special (2007)

It’s interesting to me to see the two most obvious departures of the traditional gospel movie—Monty Python and South Park—included on the secular list.  Amongst these other movies, who at least attempt to tell the true story, (even Godspell,) are these irreverent plot lines.

What does that tell me, as a Christian author? That maybe occasionally we take ourselves too seriously? Yes, it was a horrible thing for Jesus to have to die on the cross for my sins. Very serious stuff when the fate of the whole world is literally in God’s nail-scarred hands. May we never forget what happened on Golgotha that day, and its significance for our eternal salvation.

But is the secular world more apt to receive our Lord if we can show His joy, His humor? Not irreverently, by any means. But in our every day stories. Perhaps a sprinkling of the twinkle in His eyes, a tug of a grin on His lips, even an outright guffaw from His throat. Portray his love as one of a Father’s delighting in his children. Even in the deepest of stories, where a character’s very soul seems to twist in agony, there is room for light (translate that as hope.) A subplot character who always says the right thing to make the hero smile. A puppy who enjoys a squeaky toy. A toddler who has just discovered her shadow. These are small seasonings of sweetness that makes the deeper message more palatable.

Two movies come to mind. They aren’t about Jesus necessarily, but are about God. Bruce Almighty and Evan Almighty. Both portray God (played by Morgan Freeman) as a loving father who disciplines, yet dances with His children.

Allow God to dance in your stories. Season with that little bit of sweetness, and your message will be received with grateful, and hopefully, changed hearts.

***

Read these lists and the synopsis on each movie at Christianity Today and at TIME Entertainment.