29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Worthy prequel, November 11, 2001
This review is from: Timepiece [VHS] (VHS Tape)
"Christmas Box" is one of my all-time favorite movies, and I've been itching for the beautiful prequel "Timepiece" to come out. Told in the frame of reminiscence, this is the backstory of the dignified Mary Parkin of the other movie, and of her husband and daughter.
Kevin Kilner is astonishingly good as David Parkin, the owner of a successful company during WW2. David is a bachelor with odd social habits; among other things, his best friend is a black clockmaker named Lawrence (James Earl Jones, who is OBVIOUSLY amazing), considered an eccentricity in the upper crust of the 1940s noveau riche.
A young English woman, Mary Anne Chandler, arrives and somehow ends up as David's secretary. But he isn't yet aware that she has a secret: She's pregnant by a deceased soldier, and unwed, a major stigma at that time. David marries her nevertheless, and for a time they are immensely happy together. David considers her daughter to be his, and soon about five years have passed.
Meanwhile Lawrence befriends an elderly, kindly spinster with a wastrel nephew. When she dies, she gives all of her money to charities - except for a beautiful, valuable clock that she leaves to Lawrence. The nephew and his friends, needless to say, aren't too pleased. When the nephew shows up, drunk, there's a scuffle and he's accidently shot with his own gun. David dives in to take the blame, knowing that a court would try Lawrence unjustly. This good deed results in an outpouring of both love and hate, with tragic results...
I've only seen Kilner in one other role -- that of the first lead on Earth: Final Conflict--and was not impressed by his acting abilities. And, additionally, I was groaning in pain when I found out he had been cast as David; I thought he was all wrong for the part. This movie, however, lets him shine. Naomi Watts is excellent as the woman whose hardships forge her into a much stronger person, showing indications of the dignified older woman of "Christmas Box."
James Earl Jones is a jewel as Lawrence Flynn, an elderly black man who must suddenly deal with the prejudice of some of the town's residents, alongside his friend, Miss Maud Gannon. Jones is, needless to say, amazing. Richard Thomas doesn't really star -- he's in a cameo, at best, artificially aged, but it's a good cameo that sets up the whole movie. Mercedes Kastner, the girl playing little Andrea Parkin is pretty good for a child actor, but not stellar; at times she's a little too affected.
Flaws? Well, there are some dissimilarities to the book, in more than altered dialogue. In the book, Andrea was not fathered by a deceased soldier, but just some abusive jerk. Richard Thomas's gray artificial eyebrows look like dust bunnies, and he really isn't convincing as an old man. He looks like a young man trying to look old. The effects of the attack on Lawrence is much more severe in the book; but as there are children watching this movie, it's just as well.
Nevertheless, this is truly beautifully made. The sets and settings are amazing, and I get the feeling that the actors were enjoying what they were making. If you feel in the mood for a really lovely movie, or enjoyed the other movie, you should definitely watch "Timepiece."
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24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Surviving..., December 12, 2001
This review is from: Timepiece [VHS] (VHS Tape)
The gorgeous bookshelves in the study at the start of this movie had my attention and then the theme of clocks and watches was quite unique. Even if you have not seen "The Christmas Box," you can enjoy this story. This sequel focuses more on the life of David and Mary and how they find one another and keep their marriage together.
Timepiece is one of those stories some will find hard to believe would ever happen in real life. Strange, yet true, not only did someone leave Christmas presents on our doorstep one year in real life, my brother also survived meningitis. So, two aspects of this movie made complete sense to me.
The first half is more of a love story and the middle is filled with tragedy. The ending is so beautiful in that the characters learn to forgive and by doing so, bring beauty back into their lives.
The true meanings of friendship, loyalty and love are also explored. The emotions at times border on being overly sentimental, but for the most part, the story flows nicely.
The beauty of this story is more in how the characters react to tragedies in their lives. They discover what it means to forgive and share their lives with those who have also suffered.
As many in America face a Christmas filled with the pain of loosing those they loved this year, I felt this movie could almost be a guide as to how we can turn our personal suffering into joy and hope.
We may not always understand why God allows tragedy into our lives. The story of Mary and David Parkin shows how when you look for ways to make other people happy, you can find joy again and can even learn to appreciate life in a more altruistic way.
~The Rebecca Review
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18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
More from Richard Paul Evans, PLEASE!, February 17, 2002
By A Customer
This review is from: Timepiece [VHS] (VHS Tape)
My daughters and I watched this after the Christmas Box on
Christmas night (which has become a tradition for us). We absolutely loved it!We were once again overwhelmed by the story of the Parkin's.The loss of their daughter made us
sob as did the unexpected ending.I have come to expect this
from the writings of Mr. Evans,what a talented man!He hits on every emotion possible but the one most evident to me is "HOPE".He makes us believe that there is hope in every situation especially when you think all is lost.The actors in this movie were perfect in their roles and brought this wonderful story to life.I hope to treasure these movies for years to come. They say that each time you watch a movie you catch something that you missed the first time and I'm sure this will be the same.I can't wait to see it again.
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