Good story, Not enough for a whole film

For all the hype it got I was expecting a lot more!

Excellent, Without a doubt!!

While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

Review Date 1/29/2018PLEASE BEWARE OF SOME REVIEWERS THAT ONLY HAVE ONLY ONE REVIEW. WHEN ITS A POSITIVE THERE IS A GOOD CHANCE THEY WERE INVOLVED WITH THE PRODUCTION. NOW I HAVE NO AGENDA! I REVIEW MOVIES & SPECIALS AS A WAY TO KEEP TRACK OF WHAT I HAVE SEEN! I HAVE DISCOVERED MANY GEMS IN MY QUEST TO SEE AS MANY " C H R I S T M A S " MOVIES AS I CAN. Now Someone keeps reporting my reviews. I guess they are jealous because I do tell the truth. I want to point out that I never make snide remarks about actors weight or real life sexual orientation. If there acting is terrible or limited "I talk about that". If a story is bad "I will mention that" So why am I being "picked on"? IMDB? When one of my reviews gets deleted IMDB will not even tell me what someone found offensive. Well on to this review.In this film a group of strangers are forced to seek refuge in an abandoned church after a major snow storm hits. Over the course of the evening these strangers rely on one another to make do during these very difficult times.This film was poorly done. It goes on way too long! This film has all the "STEREO TYPES" of couples in some sort of crisis. All of them of course come together help each other and share their experience strengths and hope with each other. What works in this film is that the actors give it their all. The film however falls apart near the end after an autistic boy is rescued from the elements. Now That is where the film should of ended however there is another 10 or so minutes that go on and on. The reason is that the last 10 minutes become a church service. The last 10 minutes is just basically a preacher recapping what you just saw. This is the part of the film you can just skip because it adds nothing more to the story.Had this not been a TV-movie (where movies need to fill a time slot) this would of been cut.Now what I do like about this film is that it does have the moments you do expect in a "Christmas Movie" and it does them well. Its family safe but good luck getting the kids to sit still for this! What I was most disappointed in was that the last act. I think the story could of been better served had "ALL THE CHARACTERS" reunited at the church and we see that they became close friends or still in touch with each other.

Seven motorists are stranded in the snow at an old abandoned church. This should have been the miracle. Unfortunately, the movie shifted the 'miracle' from the motorists, effective in their own light for the situation they are in, to a small child. Our focus on seven people who are unable to find their way out of the snow, because a tree blocked their way, to first a woman who is able to find her way to the church in her SUV, tho she too gets her vehicle stuck in the snow, but it is when the child wanders out to the church as well, the focus awkwardly shifts. A child on foot is able to get close enough to the church, but the initial seven persons weren't able to wander the same path in reverse. The most remarkable aspect of the film is those vehicles sliding in the dark, quiet snow, with all parties having no idea when the automobiles will come to a stop. And now these seven people rely on one another. There is no bickering, really not the 'problems solved' as we get in other movies of this kind. If these people do not work together, any or all of them could meet an untimely fate in these woods. I saw this movie many years ago and have never forgotten it. Its a nice holiday flick, very low key but it delivers. Had the attention remained on the people in the church, it would have been stronger. And the child doesn't give a good depiction of autism.

I disagree with the 2 star review, yes it is a slow movie but it does actually have a point. Maybe you were just not paying attention. The freak snow storm was in the Pacific north west, as such it would be possible that the ladies insulin would have been chilled not frozen.... I understand that insulin can be refrigerated, NO? As for the walk to the town, I believe it was quite a distance, as the son walked for a long time and got lost in the woods, so maybe lesson learned there, stay put where everyone could be in one place, fire burning, sheltered and reasonably comfortable. Strangers sharing stories and wisdoms, and providing each other with a shoulder and support. I did find the idea that Matt would sneak out of his house a bit far fetched, but, since I do not have an autistic child, I do not fully understand how this would be portrayed in a character. The movie does have a point, when the final scenes are played out it becomes very clear when it comes to the ending. Possiblythe previous reviewer did not wait for the end of the movie to see the conclusion. Is this the absolute best Christmas movie out there? No, but it does share a message, it gives a person pause to reflect and maybe that is the point. Take the message from the movie an leave the sub-par bits behind!

Basically, a group of people who are unhappy with their lives end up in an abandoned church after getting stranded in a snow storm. I am not sure where the miracle came in although there was plenty to be thankful for. Mostly that it is only 90 minutes long. This is one of the slowest movies I have seen, with really nothing to redeem it. There was at least a lot of snow. I could have accepted the group being stranded and snowed in and talking to each other until resolving some of the issues they all had, mostly due to lack of communication between the couples. But when the autistic son ran away from his babysitter and walked to the church under his own steam, I had to question why 8 grown-ups couldn't walk home through the woods. That and the woman who lost her insulin in the snow was still able to use it after it froze, thereby rendering it useless. It looks like they stayed all night in the church without freezing to death, and it all ended happily ever after. Slowly and painfully.