A grouchy woodcarver (Tom Berenger) bonds with a boy (Luke Ward-Wilkinson) while constructing a Nativity scene for him. Set in the Victorian era in the late 1800s and based on the best-selling holiday book by Susan Wojciehowski which comes to life in what is sure to be a holiday classic.
“The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey” is a story of love, redemption and above all, hope. When a broken hearted boy loses the treasured wooden nativity set that links him to his dead father, his worried mother persuades a reclusive, ill-tempered woodcarver to create a replacement, and to allow her son to watch him carve it. The commission takes their relationship to unexpected places as the young boy makes greater and more difficult demands of the woodcarver’s ability, and as Christmas approaches, the three of them struggle to come to terms with each other, their painful memories and the process of putting their unhappiness behind them. Outstanding performances, stunning CGI visuals and a brilliant score make this compelling, funny and ultimately, very moving adaptation of one of America’s most loved and award winning children’s books a must-see family movie experience.
Tom Berenger and Joely Richardson star in this live-action adaptation of Susan Wojciechowski’s beloved children’s tome, The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey. The fable centers around two lonely, broken people. Jonathan Toomey (Berenger) is a woodcutter who buried his ability to love when he lost his wife and child in a horrid accident, and thus earned the nickname Gloomy at the hands of misunderstanding local children. Thomas McDowell (newcomer Luke Ward-Wilkinson) watched quietly as the death of his father ripped away his childhood innocence – and destroyed his world. Now, Thomas’s single mother, Susan (Richardson) must sell their urban home and move, son-in-tow, into the countryside to live with her sister. When Thomas grows virtually inconsolable over the loss of a wooden manger scene bequeathed to him by his dad, Susan asks Jonathan to carve a new one for the young boy. In time, a most unexpected friendship blossoms between Thomas and the old woodcutter, that heals the wounds and melts the heart of each broken soul. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
The mark of a great Christmas film is when it can be viewed at any time of the year and not feel out of season. This film, recipient of our Dove Seal, accomplishes this beautifully. Based upon the popular children’s book, the film chronicles the struggles of Thomas and his mother who are dealing with the recent loss of Thomas’ father. They soon find themselves drawn to Jonathon Toomey, played masterfully by Tom Berenger, a man facing his own issues with loss. Each of the characters are very deep and well played, including the mother who makes her own mistakes as she struggles to help her son while dealing with her own hurt. – Dove
Starring Joely Richardson, Tom Berenger, Ronald Pickup, Luke Ward-Wilkinson, Saoirse Ronan.