"The Magical Christmas Shoes" is the second film I can think of specifically about Christmas and shoes. The first is last year's "A Shoe Addict's Christmas," which I haven't seen yet. This film amazingly incorporates shoes into its plot in a meaningful way. Viewers might learn something about how the Low Countries celebrate christmas.
Erin Karpluk plays Noelle, an accountant who receives a shoe full of Christmas gifts each year from her grandmother who immigrated to the United States from Belgium. In Belgium, a folkloric character is said to fill shoes with candy for children each year.
Noelle discovers that a local candy store is about to go out of business. She goes inside and uses her latent artistic talent to put out beautiful Christmas display. Of course the sales skyrocket. People just love Christmas, don't they?
The store's proprietor is a troubled man by the John Reid (Damon Runyan). He runs the store on behalf of his father who founded the company. John longs for a career in the arts and believes he is ill suited to be a businessman. He and Noelle fall in love perhaps based upon their mutual suppression of their true desires.
The actors get along well together. I wouldn't say they have romantic chemistry as much as they just get along as friends. That's ok. The film isn't really about a romance as much as the script believes it is. The main theme is having the courage to do something you really love. I felt like the romance was added as a genre requirement for a made-for-tv film.
I haven't seen Mr. Runyan in many films. I felt he was more emotive here than in "Christmas Festival of Ice" where he was a mayonnaise bore. Here he is steadfast and warm.
"The Magical Christmas Shoes" is better than it has any right to be. It feels as if the screenplay was given real thought and effort. It's competently acted. Add it to your marathon.
Erin Karpluk plays Noelle, an accountant who receives a shoe full of Christmas gifts each year from her grandmother who immigrated to the United States from Belgium. In Belgium, a folkloric character is said to fill shoes with candy for children each year.
Noelle discovers that a local candy store is about to go out of business. She goes inside and uses her latent artistic talent to put out beautiful Christmas display. Of course the sales skyrocket. People just love Christmas, don't they?
The store's proprietor is a troubled man by the John Reid (Damon Runyan). He runs the store on behalf of his father who founded the company. John longs for a career in the arts and believes he is ill suited to be a businessman. He and Noelle fall in love perhaps based upon their mutual suppression of their true desires.
The actors get along well together. I wouldn't say they have romantic chemistry as much as they just get along as friends. That's ok. The film isn't really about a romance as much as the script believes it is. The main theme is having the courage to do something you really love. I felt like the romance was added as a genre requirement for a made-for-tv film.
I haven't seen Mr. Runyan in many films. I felt he was more emotive here than in "Christmas Festival of Ice" where he was a mayonnaise bore. Here he is steadfast and warm.
"The Magical Christmas Shoes" is better than it has any right to be. It feels as if the screenplay was given real thought and effort. It's competently acted. Add it to your marathon.