51 of 52 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Hidden Treasure, December 16, 2000
This review is from: Dream for Christmas [VHS] (VHS Tape)
"A Dream for Christmas" is a hidden holiday treasure from the halcyon days when made for television movies were actually worth watching. Written by Earl Hamner, it is the story of a Baptist minister (Hari Rhodes) who relocates his family from Sweet Clover, Arkansas to Los Angeles in the 1950s. When the family, which includes his wife (Lynn Hamilton), his mother (the astounding Beah Richards), and four children, arrives at the church, they find that the congregation has dwindled and that the church is about to be demolished by a developer. In the weeks that follow, the family begins to adjust to a life very far removed from Sweet Clover, while the pastor struggles to build up his congregation and prevent the church's demolition.
The intriguing part about this film is that although nearly the entire cast is African-American, it is not as much about that as about being a family, and building a faith community. We see people of all classes, from the successful developer to the women (including the pastor's wife) who clean for the "rich folk" in Beverly Hills. The children's adjustment is particularly hard, especially for Emmaree, the older daughter who must face adolesence and the cruelty of urban teens at the same time. The older son's struggle to take on a more manly role in the family is realistic and not mawkish.
The lead actors in this film are among the greatest unsung performers of their time, often taking almost journeyman roles again and again, always turning in their best work. Given the time in which this film was made, it is amazing to see all of these great actors in one great film, yet sad to think that it has been so rarely seen.
I heartily recommend this film for your holiday collection, especially for those looking for positive films about the African-American experience. I wish that this had been made into a series, but, alas, there was no way America was ready for a series about a black family in 1973. That this film was made at all is a great tribute to everyone involved and particularly ABC, which presented it as part of its "Movie of the Week."
GET THIS MOVIE!
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17 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A lost Classic, January 18, 2001
This review is from: Dream for Christmas [VHS] (VHS Tape)
How this movie has somehow fallen through the cracks and has not become an annual holiday classic is a mystery. I remember watching this movie two years in a row (1973-74?) on ABC during the Christmas season. I was only about 10 or 11 the first time I saw it, but I have never forgotten this movie; it is that moving. Hopefully, some show business mogul will happen across this movie and begin showing it annually. This one deserves to be every bit as well-known and loved as "It's a Wonderful Life".
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Nostalgia., January 12, 2009
This review is from: Dream for Christmas [VHS] (VHS Tape)
Back way back when I thought Hari Rhodes was the cat's whiskers. The movie is quite good. I just wish Hari had been given more of a chance. It's a nice little movie and certainly above a lot of the rubbish put out today. The world may still have a lot of prblems but at least opportunities exist that did not when this movie was made.
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