Christmas Lodge Movie Review

The other night, my husband and I had the opportunity to curl up together and get a jump start on the holiday season while watching Christmas Lodge on DVD.

Here's a brief synopsis about the movie:

Thomas Kinkade presents Christmas Lodge: a place where a heart-warming past and loving future meet for one remarkable group of people. During a weekend trip to the mountains, Mary (Erin Karpluk) finds herself at the now- dilapidated lodge where she spent the holidays with her family growing up. She becomes determined to restore the building to its former glory. Inspired by her grandfather and guided by her grandmother in heaven, Mary throws herself into the project, and during the process finds herself drawn to Jack (Michael Shanks), a handsome man who loves the lodge as much as she does. Historically unlucky in love, this chance encounter allows Mary to renew her faith in life and discover her one true love. For an uplifting story about the importance of faith, family and the true holiday spirit, go to the Christmas Lodge.

The pros:  The movie really is about love, faith, and family.  The characters display a strong Christian faith, and that faith (with a little help sometimes from Grandpa's wise counsel) compells them to "do the right thing" even when that's not the easy thing to do.  God blesses their faithfulness, and Mary's whole family is drawn closer because of it.  It is impressive to me to see Grandpa reading from the Bible and scripture beingwoven into the storyline.  The man/woman relationship scenes are chaste and pure, and I believe the only kiss is a short one at the end that is in the witness of the whole family and at a moment when you would expect such an event to happen.  The movie opens with Mary and her beau going to the mountains for the weekend, but this romantic getaway features separate rooms and a very modest outdoor hike.  What a breath of fresh air!  I loved Grandpa's faith.  His whole character was inspirational, as was the family's committment to attending him in his illness.  Really, in my opinion, Christmas Lodge  is almost everything a truly Christian movie should be.

The cons:  You know how above I said "almost everything"?  Well, there was one part of the movie that bothered me.  Let me explain a bit.  Mary, one of the main characters, has a deep connection to all her family, but an especially deep connection to her Grandpa, who is a widower.  Several times in the movie, Grandma, whom everyone, but especially Mary and Grandpa, misses very much, was given credit for being able to communicate from beyond the grave.  For example, Mary says, "Grandpa said  the Lord and Grandma spoke to him every time he went hiking."  Mary also tells a child in the movie, "God and my Grandma talked to me" and in another place she shares with her mom the conviction that God and Grandma had spoken to her in the woods the day of her hike saying, "they were telling me to repay Grandpa."  Her mother replies, "Maybe they were...maybe they still are."  Now I happen to know many people find comfort with the idea that loved ones somehow communicate with us from beyond the grave, and some denominations even support that idea.  And I don't at all discount that when a loved one dies that we were especially close to, we are able, because we know their character so well, to discern what they would maybe say or advise in a certain situation...if they were still alive to do that.  But scripturally, I don't think there is any evidence that deceased loved ones actually DO speak to us from beyond the grave, and certainly not that they share that voice with God himself.  I think God doesn't need any help communicating with us, and the continual use of "they said" and "they were" as if God and Grandma were the same voice I find to be Biblically off base.  It could have been said, " I feel like God was telling me (insert whatever God 's wisdom for her was)...and I'm pretty sure if Grandma was still alive, she would tell me that too."

The bottom line:  I really liked this movie, and it has so many great things going for it.  I don't think the above issue is a "deal buster", but if the concept of the dead communicating from heaven with the living does not line up with your theology, it would be a good thing to be aware of and to discuss with your family before or after you watch it. 

If you want to learn more, you can watch a featurette of the movie HERE.  You can also purchase the movie from many retailers.  To find out where, go HERE.

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog.  Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."