Silver Bells 2005

     Christopher Byrne works on his the family's tree farm.  His son Danny and daughter Bridget help him get the trees ready to take to New York to sell for Christmas.  Bridget doesn’t mind doing the work but Danny doesn’t see his future as working on the tree farm and he longs to escape.  He breaks away from the family during the tree sales and he goes to a photography gallery.  Catherine O’Mara works there and they see her every year at the tree stand but she never buys a tree.  Catherine looks at examples of Danny’s photography and she encourages him to pursue a career in this field.  When the trees are sold and the family is ready to return to the farm, Danny tells them he’s not going back with them.  Christopher is really angry and they get into a fight.  Danny runs away and his dad spends the next year trying to find him in New York.

     This film is a different take on a Christmas movie and Christmas tree sales.  Christopher and Catherine don’t know they have more in common than they know.  She has an important reason why she never gets a Christmas tree.  3 ½* (I liked this movie)

95 min, TV Movie, Drama directed by Dick Lowry with Anne Heche, Tate Donovan, Michael Mitchell, Courtney Jines, Max Martini, John Cunningham, John Benjamin Hidkey, Lourdes Benedicto, Margo Martindale, Mike Colter.

Note:  Imdb 6.4 out of 10, 69% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Amazon 4.8* out of 5* with 88 reviews.

Special Note:  There is another movie released in 2013 with the same title starring Bruce Boxleitner, Denton Duty and Antonio Fargas.  It's about a sportscaster driven to win.