Customer Reviews

Christmas Story

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(32)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This Finnish film tells the story of Nikolas, who, as a young boy, is orphaned. The villagers, not knowing what else to do, decide that a different family will provide Nikolas his home for a year, and each Christmas, Nikolas will move to the next family. During this process, Nikolas begins carving wooden animals and other toys to repay his friends' kindness, and he leaves these gifts outside the recipients' doors on Christmas.

At one point, a local carpenter, Iisakki (the wonderful Finnish actor Kari Väänänen), discovers Nikolas's ability with carving and convinces the village that he should take Nikolas in. Gruff and bitter at first, Iisakki insists that Nikolas refer to him as "Master" and treats the boy as a servant. Eventually, though, Iisakki warms to the boy, and they develop a caring relationship as Nikolas continues his gift-giving.

The film is wonderful to look at, shot as it was in Finnish Lapland, and there is little to prevent fairly young children from enjoying the film. The film is rated PG because of "mild thematic elements and brief smoking," according to the MPAA. The thematic elements, I presume, are primarily the elements that make Nikolas an orphan (the deaths of his parents and young brother). The smoking refers to pipes that several of the characters have.

DVD extras include a "making of" featurette (in Finnish with English subtitles) and the film's trailer (in English). The film is in English with no option for the original Finnish language, and there are no subtitles available for the feature.

Most people will skip this Finnish holiday film, dubbed in English, searching for something more familiar, something less challenging. That's a mistake.

This is an excellent family film about the origin of Santa Claus. This film transcends the commercial image of Santa and grounds him in a loving story that isn't afraid to make you cry.

The word "classic" is used too often to describe holiday films, each of lesser and lesser quality. Hollywood has a lousy record when it comes to holiday films over the past decade. For example, The Santa Clause 3 The Escape Clause (2006), Deck the Halls (2006), Christmas With the Kranks (2004), Surviving Christmas (2004), and, most recently, Santa Baby (2007) and Four Christmases (2008). And that doesn't count other holiday lumps of coal starring Tom Arnold, Kelsey Grammer and Matthew McConaughey.

My point is that this film, with its snowy lush cinematography and original storyline, isn't without its flaws. However, you will come away feeling inspired by the result, rather than feeling cheated once again by another made-for-TV plot, lame acting and sophomoric humor.

Jen Johans' review for Film Intuition does an excellent job of capturing what makes this foreign film so special. The following excerpt nicely sums up why you should give the movie a chance:

"However, despite its melancholic opener and general audience reluctance to foreign films, this uplifting PG-rated movie is one I urge parents to seek out to offer a new alternative to the primarily commercial approach of Santa Claus movies.

"A beautiful work filled with the ingredients that make our classics including A Christmas Carol, Nutcracker and other holiday movies so endearing, director Juha Wuolijoki's Story also garnered prestigious accolades in time for its DVD debut including a seal of approval by The Dove Foundation and an All-Star honor by the well-respected Kids First! Coalition for Quality Children's Media."

Rating: Four stars.

Christmas Story by Katherine Borowitz; was a very good family film. I enjoyed it very much. I hope others can too.

Movies like this one make me wonder what other great films have I missed from other countries. I don't even think I would have noticed the dubbed voices, if someone else hadn't pointed it out to me. Our family loves holiday movies, especially this time of year, and we all enjoyed Christmas Story.

The story opens with a little boy named Nicholas, orphaned after his family fell through some ice at night. The brief scene opened a flood of questions from my 4yr old, but it was easy to handle since we've already discussed death and the afterlife with our son. (Not sure if that counts as a spoiler, but I thought some parents might want to be prepared for any questions.) The other villagers decide to take turns looking after him; he spends one year with each family, and then moves to a new household on Christmas day. During this time, Nicholas starts to make toys for the children, as a way to say "thank-you" for caring for him.

However, after six years, there is a food shortage in the village. The families can no longer take care of Nicholas, but a carpenter offers to take him instead. The carpenter, Isaac, is a mean-tempered man that wants to put Nicholas to work in his woodshop. He even renames Nicholas, "I will call you Brat!" Despite his nasty personality, Isaac is able to teach Nicholas the wood-working trade.

When the year is up, Isaac learns about the toys that Nicholas makes for the village children. Isaac tells him that he too lost his family, and explains why he is so mean to children. That disclosure changes the relationship between the carpenter and the boy.

As Nicholas grows up, he begins to resemble the Santa image we are familiar with. We see him put together his team of reindeer, and we learn why he wears a red suit. (The entire scene with the reindeer had my son laughing his head off.) Unfortunately, there is more sadness in the adult life of Nicholas, which only strengthens his resolve to uphold his tradition of handing out presents. I liked the supporting chracters, and the different dimension they gave to the Santa story. The ending was quite a surprise.

This is a great family movie with a beautiful story that will entertain all ages. The sentiment is comparable to The Polar Express and Santa Claus Is Comin to Town, but in live action. Our other Christmas favorites include Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

I watched this movie with a friend of mine. I enjoyed it, she did not. The reason we disagreed was simple. This is not your traditional Hollywood Christmas movie, and that's what she was hoping for. I, on the other hand, really enjoyed the story and liked the fact that it had a different feel to it then what we've come to expect from a Christmas movie. There is no jolly "ho ho ho" and it has a more dark, somber underlying edge to it. In fact, there are times where it is just plain depressing, however I am not a reviewer that recaps the movie as I feel that's what the product page is for, so I'll simply say I think this movie is well worth the view. But if you're looking for Christmas glitz, this is not the movie for you and I do not recommend this for children under 10.

Christmas Story is dubbed in English, but don't let that stop you from watching this touching story of how Santa Claus came to be. It doesn't detract from the movie at all.

The movie was filmed in Finland; the scenery is breathtaking. Most of the story has already been told by other reviewers, but one part has been left out. Why does Santa wear red? I'm not telling, you'll have to watch the movie to find out.

We enjoyed this movie. I even shed some tears. You need to watch Christmas Story to see just how the legend that has been carried on for generations began.

My family will be watching this heartwarming movie every year.

This is a superbly rich and beautiful children's movie that tells the story of how Santa Claus came to be. Adults may not want to buy or rent this film just to watch by themselves, but it is perfect for a family movie night.

Spoiler-free plot summary: A young boy named Nikolas grows up in a small, wintry Finnish village and experiences a tumultuous early childhood. Mentored by a grumpy-turned-benevolent woodworker named Isaac, Nikolas becomes "Father Christmas" and brings joy to the village children with his beautiful hand-carved toys. (If you want a very in-depth plot summary, including spoilers, please scroll down to the paragraph with the two asterisks ** in front.)

The cinematography is superb, artistic, and lasting -- so different from the choppy shots in mainstream American movies. The location is breathtaking, and the movie is worth watching for the landscape/snowscape shots alone. Personally, I found the characters -- with the exception of "crazy" Isaac (as the village children call him) -- to be fairly one-dimensional and the dialogue to be somewhat stilted and unrealistic; but this could be due in part to the translation from Finnish to American English. Nevertheless, these elements do not detract from the movie's overall beauty or message of love, generosity, family, and happiness.

Although obviously written and produced in Finnish, the film has been dubbed in American English for release in the US. This is perfect for younger viewers who may not be able to follow along with subtitles. However, there are conspicuous lip-synch issues with the English dubbing. I would have preferred to watch the film in spoken Finnish with English subtitles; but unfortunately this option is not available on the DVD, which is a huge disservice to adult viewers and older children.

The film is rated PG, likely because the subject matter is somewhat heavier than the standard American kids' movie. There is sadness and tragedy (death) at the beginning of the film, as well as one very dark, aggressive, mean-spirited antagonist -- "crazy" Isaac -- who could be frightening to very young and/or sensitive viewers. However, the rest of the movie is more lighthearted and is very positive and uplifting.

All in all, this is a top quality holiday film appropriate for all ages. Had the DVD included spoken Finnish with English subtitles, I would give it 5 stars.

** Complete plot summary, INCLUDING SPOILERS, for parents/caretakers who want to ensure that there's nothing inappropriate or too scary for their youngsters (do NOT read below if you don't want spoilers!):

The film begins at night, in a one-room log cabin, in the midst of a terrible snowstorm. Six-year-old Nikolas stays at home while his parents venture outside to take his baby sister to the doctor. Nikolas's family dies in the storm, and two village wardens come to collect the boy. It is understood (although not directly stated) that Nikolas's family died because they fell through a thin patch of ice over the river.

At a town hall meeting, the village decides to move orphan Nikolas from family to family each year on Christmas because no one can afford to feed or clothe him longer than that. At the meeting, the audience is introduced to "crazy" Isaac, a gruff, dark, witch-looking man with an angry and booming voice, who lives on the village outskirts. Isaac bitterly suggests that Nikolas be thrown into the river with his parents. The villagers obviously choose to help Nikolas, so the boy moves in with his first family. Nikolas is grateful for the hospitality and begins to carve little wooden Christmas toys for the children of the families he stays with.

Six years later, the village holds another town hall meeting. The fish harvest has been especially poor and no families can afford to keep Nikolas this year. The villagers are at a loss as to what to do, when Isaac -- who is still angry, bitter, and scary at this point -- offers to have Nikolas live with him. Wary at first, and literally left with no other option, the villagers eventually agree; and Nikolas and his meager belongings are sent to live with Isaac on the village outskirts. Isaac has a simple cabin perched on a hill overlooking a beautiful fjord; in the basement is a huge wood workshop. For the first year, Isaac calls Nikolas "brat" and demands to be called "master" as he shows the boy how to use the woodworking equipment and choose the best trees for lumber. Isaac is a successful woodcarver and sells his wares at the bustling city market, Nikolas in tow.

If your children watch the movie all the way through, they will not be scared of Isaac by the end of it. Isaac slowly but surely warms up when he discovers Nikolas's secret toymaking; Isaac even helps Nikolas deliver the toys the next Christmas. Nikolas learns that Isaac acts so angry and grumpy because his wife died and his children left him. The bond between Nikolas and Isaac grows as the seasons change, and before you know it Nikolas is an adult (and is starting to look more and more like Santa Claus, with long white blond hair and a scruffy beard!).

Grumpy Isaac is now an old man, and his sons, remorseful for leaving their father so many years earlier, come to collect him so he can live with them in a distant town. The bond between Isaac and Nikolas is strong, and Isaac's departure is sad for both of them. Isaac gives Nikolas a key to a large trunk inside the cabin, which contains all the money Isaac ever made from his woodworking business.

Nikolas now makes toys for all the village children and enlists his friend Emile to help keep track of all the children's names and houses. Nikolas uses Isaac's sled to deliver the toys, and his bag has become so heavy that he must purchase four reindeer to help pull the sleigh to the village. And, wouldn't you know it, the reindeer only respond to Nikolas's command when he wears red, so he purchases a luxurious burgundy cap and overcoat: unmistakably Santa Claus!

In the meantime, Nikolas has befriended Emile's daughter, Aada (pronounced "odda"). Aada often hangs out in the wood workshop and helps Nikolas deliver the Christmas toys to the village children. Nikolas carves a beautiful box with an enclosed note for Aada and delivers the toys by himself one Christmas, and then he disappears. Aada and her family know that they will never see Nikolas again (has he died? no explanation is given). The village parents decide to honor and continue Nikolas's tradtion by giving their children gifts each Christmas. Note that this last part -- that parents now give their children gifts -- is very, very subtly conveyed through minimalist dialogue; adults and teens will notice it, but children may not.

Overall, this is a highly artistic film with a beautiful message of love, generosity, family, and hope. Recommended!

If I could rate this movie a 10 or higher, I would. This movie is Beyond Words. I have never had a movie affect me emotionally like this one has. This is and amazing story set in a very realistic world. You will never look at Christmas again after seeing this move. It will change you emotionally and spiritually. After watching it, every time I think about it or tell someone about it, I end up crying(that is NOT normal behavior for me!). Absolutely the best Christmas movie I have ever seen.

Forget the scrooges who criticize the dubbing. This is a great Christmas film. It has the unique flavor that could only come from Finland, Sweden, or Norway. Hollywood could not pull this one off. See the modern Christmas legend through the eyes of another culture.

I have every version of Dickens' Christmas Carol, the ones I love and the ones that are shallow, emotionless imitations. This Finnish movie is as good as the best of any of them. It mixes the best of human nature with the harshest of human life and death realities and produces a version of the Santa legend that will melt the frozen heart of any Winter Warlock.

Every so often I am surprised by a film and 'Christmas Story' is just such a film! The story of old Saint Nick told from Finland perspective is a marvelous story that is sweet, but never sappy and really belies the whole Holiday film cliché. The story of Santa Claus is told so matter of fact, that I felt like I was watching a "regular" movie! The only thing that keeps me from giving this a full 5 stars is the dubbing is a little off(unfortunately the original language option is not included) and that I think the film would have been better if it ended about a minute sooner. The shot of the spirit Santa Claus driving off in his sleigh, just took away all the realism that this film was giving me in so much abundance. I know, I know...it's a "holiday movie", but this film is so much more than that and I think it would have spoken louder and more profound had it showed us a little less. This is a small grievance and this film will be in my yearly holiday watching repertoire from now on! The film runs about an hour and 20 minutes and shows you don't have to have an overly long film to develop characters or tell a complete story! If you like Christmas films(and I know you do!)this one should not be missed!

Happy Holidays to everyone!

Merry Christmas!