first of all and let me say that this be not the movie for people look to watch something spirited and joyous for the holiday . this movie be cold and brutal and and just downright depress . mary steenburgen play a grinchy mom who be down on christmas because her husband have lose his job and they be lose their house and can not buy christmas present for the kid and etc . you get the idea and happy stuff for the holiday . so along come harry dean stanton a gideon the christmas angel and who in his dark hat and long overcoat come off more like a pedophile who hang around child all day observe them . what good way to instill the spirit of christmas in mary steenburgen than to kill off her family and then offer to bring them back if she believe in christmas again . santa claus be a blackmailer and his christmas workshop look more like a haven for refugee nazi on the lam . the movie lay everything on so thick that you do not care about the happy end when it come because the rest of the movie be so bitter and unbelievable . i be sure this film want to be something capra like and but it leave out the joy and sentiment on what a holiday film should be .