A Different Kind of Christmas (1996)

Most undeservingly overhyped movie of all time??

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

This is ultimately a movie about the very bad things that can happen when we don't address our unease, when we just try to brush it off, whether that's to fit in or to preserve our self-image.

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

BEWARE OF BOGUS REVIEWS & REVIEWERS. SOME REVIEWERS HAVE ONLY ONE REVIEW. WHEN ITS A POSITIVE REVIEW THAT TELLS ME THEY WERE INVOLVED WITH THE PRODUCTION. NOW I HAVE REVIEWED OVER 400 Christmas MOVIES. I HAVE NO AGENDA. I AM FARE.A family secret threatens to thwart the mayoral bid of a single mom (Shelley Long) whose father (Bruce Kirby) thinks he's Santa Claus.This film is very good. It deserves a better rating than the 5.7 it has on IMDb. You have to take into account that the average IMDb user is not a fan of these types of films. Shelly Long plays to type in this film however her character is suppose to be 35 and at the time of filming she around 47. What works is the fact that "The Christmas Spirit" is in everybody and that spirit should be limited to just one day a year. The film works and it is very entertaining. Family Safe. Give it a try!

Santa Claus is coming to town . . . and setting up shop.Santa moves in. He decorates the house, and the yard (including 4-foot candy canes and a fake-snow maker). Kids come by, and are enchanted with the love Santa gives. Unfortunately, MANY kids come by to share time with Santa. This increased traffic and parking upsets some of the neighbors (who don't have that Christmas spirit). One of the kids is lonely because his mom is too focused on her career (city attorney), and has little time (or attention) to give him personally.This part of the movie is so sweet. Imagine, a real nice guy giving warmth and love to kids, and allowing their parents to see how to be kind.The city attorney is pushed into enforcing the nuisance statute (for the traffic and parking problems). Most of the rest of the movie is pretty stressful. Mom is adamant about her son staying away from Santa (his one fun thing in life). Then, the legal system grinds away at Santa.I enjoy the Santa. I wish I was an attorney, so I could help him.

I had a delightful surprise when I watched Troop Beverley Hills and this film was a delightful surprise as well. This is not a film classic like Gone with the Wind but for me much more enjoyable to watch. As with many of Shelley Longs films it was full of heart and good intentions. It was nice to see the mayor from Spin City playing the romance interest and he was very good in that role though I would have loved to have seen more of him and Shelley Long on the screen, and Santa was good as well. If you like a film full of violence and sex this is not for you. There were moral issues raised in this film but not heavily and they were helpful and valid as well. I do recommend that you have a hanky with you in the last 10 minutes of the film because I found it a real tear jerker.

Lots of people go overboard with their Christmas decorations. But in June? And the newcomer to this charming neighborhood has a white beard, wears a red suit and drives a bright red Cadillac. His name is Robert George, and he once worked as a barber in Nebraska, but he wasn't happy. Then he saw a vision of what he could do to make the world better. His goal: to give children Christmas year-round in a theme park. Shelley Long plays the pretty city attorney who is given the unfortunate job of shutting down this 'Santa Claus' after neighbors complain about noise, traffic and trash (as well as the outrageous decorations). Long is also running for mayor and dealing with a developer who wants to tear down the historic train station. And her son, whose father left years ago, doesn't like being neglected by his ambitious mother. He doesn't believe the man is Santa at first but later becomes one of the man's strongest supporters. Barry Bostwick is a cynical newspaper reporter who was fired from the New York Times and doesn't like being sent to do fluff stories. But this is the story that may advance his career. He later dates Long's character. You won't believe why this Santa Claus chose this town, and why he knows so much about the people. Later, the man has to get a real job, but he is so compassionate he loses every job he tries (well,almost). As with most movies like this, it takes a near-tragedy and a couple of miracles to make everything come out all right. A nice family film.