First-Time Director Expands on The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey

My brother Nathan's favorite Christmas book is The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey, so when I saw that it had been made into a movie, it quickly went into my Netflix queue. I made sure to bump it up to the top so that there would be plenty of opportunity for Nathan and me to watch it while he was home for nearly a month between semesters. But it transpired that Nathan was reluctant to watch a film adaptation of his beloved book, so much so that by the time he left, we still hadn't watched it. He feared the movie would be a pale imitation of the book and somehow diminish its power. So I watched it with Mom, who didn't remember the plot of the book at all and, upon its conclusion, declared the movie boring. I don't know if Nathan would have agreed, but I didn't, so maybe next Christmas I will try again...

In the book, the only characters are the titular Toomey (Tom Berenger), the inquisitive boy Thomas McDowell (Luke Ward-Wilkinson) and his widowed mother Susan (Joely Richardson). The film expands the cast of characters considerably and throws the primary focus upon Thomas, a lively youth whose devastation at the death of his father (Elliot Cowan) in battle is compounded by the loss of the Nativity set they cherished together. The set goes missing during the move from the city, which means a departure from the warm, maternal housekeeper, Mrs. Hickey (Jenny O'Hara), and Thomas' grandpa.

When Thomas arrives in the country at the home of his aunt, he is determined to be miserable, but slowly he warms to the farming life and begins to form friendships with schoolmates. Bratty Edward Hardwick (Jack Montgomery) is a bully, but his spunky sister Celia (Saoirse Ronan) quickly takes a shine to him, and they soon become bosom buddies. He also finds a kindred spirit in nerdy Bobby (Benjamin Eli). But it isn't until a third of the way through the hour-and-a-half-long movie that he meets the reclusive Mr. Toomey, who Edward insists is a criminal. Used to taunts by schoolchildren, the carpenter doesn't take kindly to youthful company, but after taking on the job of replacing the McDowells' nativity set, he reluctantly agrees to let Thomas observe his work while Susan sits in the corner and knits. And with each visit, he finds that he minds their presence a little less...

Ward-Wilkinson is very engaging as the energetic but distraught Thomas, and Ronan complements him perfectly as the sweet but feisty Celia. I'm looking forward to seeing her in the main role of Susie in Peter Jackson's upcoming production of The Lovely Bones. I've seen Richardson in other films and enjoyed her here as Thomas's stern but kind mother. Giving us a glimpse of how she deals with her husband's death and showing her ongoing struggle to learn how to cook make her all the more human.

Berenger, meanwhile, carries himself the way Jonathan Toomey would, but there's something wooden about his performance, and it's not just the shavings in his beard. Though we get a good sense of his progression from gruff to warm, whenever he actually speaks, it sounds as though he is reading off a cue card. I find this odd, since he is one of the most accomplished actors in the cast, but his stilted dialogue gives us a deeper appreciation for "the value of silence," which Toomey emphatically espouses.

Susan Wojciechowski wrote the book on which the film is based, while P. J. Lynch provided the evocative illustrations. The movie was both written and directed by first-timer Bill Clark, who does an excellent job for a novice. Though I am very familiar with the book, he almost had me believing that the movie came first. So successful was his expansion of the story that every element felt as though it had been there all along.

The film seems to be set during World War I. The location is harder to place; it was filmed in London, but the American accents place it stateside. Though the dialects place it somewhere in the north, we see the children playing in the creek until shortly before Christmas, which certainly wouldn't be likely here in Pennsylvania. I read that the setting is supposed to be New England, and for the most part that seems to fit, but the water hole antics just don't seem appropriate for the season. Apparently it was also filmed on a sound stage, which would explain why many of the sets looked "too perfect," as my mom put it. They looked realistic enough to me, though, and I especially liked Toomey's little woodcarver's hut.

It's a shame this quiet, tender little Christmas movie was rushed to DVD late in 2007 with little promotion. I'm afraid it has gotten lost in the shuffle, and that is a pity because it is a worthy adaptation of a beautiful book, and such a thing is a bit of a miracle in itself.

Enchantment Looms Large in Loch Ness

There are many movies I'm looking forward to as this year closes, most of which I probably won't catch in the theater. But I'm determined to at least venture out to the cineplex once for The Water Horse, a film about the Loch Ness Monster based on a book by Babe author Dick King-Smith. I'm not sure if it's the fact that King-Smith is one of my favorite authors or my fascination with legendary creatures or my utter infatuation with all things Scottish that puts this one firmly at the top of my to-see list, but there it sits, and in anticipation of its release, I recently re-watched Loch Ness, another charming film about that fabled beastie of the deep.

I stumbled upon the movie accidentally about ten years ago during one of those happy periods in which we had a free cable trial. At first, I didn't think I'd like it; for whatever reason, I had a notion in my head that a movie about the Loch Ness monster was likely to be scary, even though I've never found Nessie frightening in the least and even though this was the Family channel. I'm glad I stuck with it.

The movie, written by John Fusco and directed by John Henderson, centers on Dr. Jonathan Dempsey (Ted Danson), a washed-up scientist who has become a laughingstock since his intensive yeti research yielded nothing. He's become a hardened skeptic, so he's disgusted when his boss, Dr. Mercer (Harris Yulin), assigns him the task of investigating the Loch Ness monster using state-of-the-art equipment.

When he arrives in Scotland, the replacement for the aged Dr. Abernathy (Philip O'Brien), who met with an unfortunate accident during the course of his research, he meets Adrian Foote (James Frain), his earnest young research assistant. Soon, he also makes the acquaintance of Laura McFetridge (Joely Richardson), the tart owner of a bed and breakfast, and her affectionate, intuitive young daughter Isabel (Kristy Graham).

While Laura doesn't exactly make him feel at home, at least not initially, Dr. Dempsey's greatest resistance comes from other sources. He must contend with Andy Maclean (Nick Brimble), the jealous, hotheaded owner of a boat he rents, and the crusty water bailiff (Ian Holm), who disapproves of Dr. Dempsey's interference with the loch he has cared for all his life.

Danson seems to have cantankerous cynicism down to a science, so his character here isn't really anything new, but it's fun to watch him grumble his way through the sleepy town on the edge of Loch Ness until a glimpse of the creature changes his outlook. He's really not a bad guy, as evidenced by the fast friendship he forms with Isabel. When he's with her, he is at his most endearing; the adorable child brings out the best in him. It was his relationship with her that stuck most firmly in my memory from the first time around, though I also recalled him developing a romance with Laura and eventually coming to share Adrian's bright-eyed enthusiasm for Nessie.

What startled me upon the second viewing was that I had completely forgotten the keeper of the lake. Though he does not show up quite as much as the McFetridges or Adrian, his role in the drama is certainly an important one, and no doubt I would have remembered him had I seen this movie anytime after Fellowship of the Ring. Since then, I've found that Holm's presence elevates any film, so he was a lovely surprise. But top honors really must go to Graham, who was eight years old at the time and perfectly projects a sense of ethereality. She does such a splendid job, I can't imagine why she hasn't appeared in a film since.

The beautiful scenery, the lilting score tinged with traditional Scottish tunes such as Wild Mountain Thyme and the magic of Jim Henson's Creature Shop are the icing on the cake in this enchanting family film that dares you to believe...