A Christmas Without Snow (1980 TV Movie) User Reviews

Real Christmas Spirit

[sts-26 · 7/10 · 28 November 2008]

I saw this movie when it first premiered, and missed it ever since. I only recently found it on a DVD, packaged with a collection of other Xmas specials. It was wonderful seeing it again, despite the fact that no attempt was made to restore the now seriously degraded film before digital transfer.

I remember two great TV Christmas films from my childhood and youth. One was The Gathering, which starred Ed Asner. The other was A Christmas without Snow. Both movies captured the spirit of Christmas from a time when the season was about faith, community and family, and reflection, rather than shopping, decorating and gluttony.

A Christmas without Snow is a charming film about the true meaning of Christmas, and the fact that keeping that meaning is rarely easy, but always rewarding. And the reward is, or should be, a sense of quiet satisfaction and contentment.

A film centered on music that first aired the day after the music died...

[AlsExGal · 7/10 · 21 March 2016]

...and by that I mean this film premiered on December 9, 1980, the day after John Lennon was murdered. Thus I really remember seeing it, because I badly needed some cheering up, and this sweet little movie fit the bill. Plus John Houseman's speech on the meaning of the word "amateur" has stuck with me all of these years.

This is a very simple quiet holiday movie about a diverse group of people, many of them extremely lonely, who come together as a choir to learn and sing Handel's Messiah for a church Christmas performance. Micheal Learned plays Zoe Henson, the central character. John Houseman plays the choir director, Ephraim Adams, and as other reviewers have mentioned, he is basically doing his Professor Kingsfield act from the Paper Chase - extreme discipline and brutal honesty tempered with compassion.

The thing that has me scratching my head now that didn't 36 years ago - Why did Zoe insist on coming to a big city like San Francisco where she knew nobody, a thousand miles from her home in Nebraska? Why did she not inquire about the availability of teaching jobs before she ever left Nebraska? Because, you see, there are no available teaching jobs, so the best she can do is office temp work, leaving her with no money to go back to Nebraska where she has left her pre-teen son in the care of her own mother. Zoe is newly divorced, and the only thing I could figure out is that she wanted to prove to herself that she could do things on her own with no help from anybody. When I first saw it I was 22 and had a backpack mentality. You got a job in Idaho? Give me five minutes to get packed and I'll be there in three days.

At any rate, to socialize, Zoe joins this choir that involves a multitude of diverse characters. There is a desperately single woman of about 40 who does not want to be single who goes around shoplifting napkins for her trousseau, a teenage African American guy whose 70 year old grandma is supporting him while he finishes school - he wants to go to night school and work during the day so grandma can take a break - she'll have none of it. There is a lonely 40ish fellow about Zoe's age, and then there is Ruth Nelson as Zoe's older downstairs neighbor who suggested she join the choir in the first place. There are other subplots, but I'll let you watch and discover them.

Some things I noticed on the second viewing? Zoe has to improve her typing skills on a machine that was extinct 20 years ago - the typewriter. That Zoe at about 42 was having men throw themselves at her when I could not get a wisp of attention at 22. That phones were plugged into the wall and you had to go to them - wherever they were in the house - to talk on them. They were not coming to you. That electronic diversions of every kind were not ubiquitous and so people had to actually meet face to face if they wanted company, even the teenagers. And one really sobering thought - this was the city that was about to have huge portions of its population wiped out by the AIDS epidemic, and this is the calm before the storm.

I'd recommend it as a film filled with the spirit of Christmas, the spirit of helping others be just a little less lonely, the spirit of empathy. And always realize everybody is lonely in some way or another.

For those of you looking for copies - this film is out of copyright, which is weird for a film made less than 40 years ago. All of the public domain copies for sale via DVD are pretty atrocious, but there are a couple of good copies on youtube if you want to take a look.

maybe a different film

[missrhea · 7/10 · 18 December 2004]

We watched this movie two nights ago and found it quite different. The main character is a newly divorced woman who moves to San Francisco from Nebraska, leaving her pre-teen son with his grandparents until she can make enough money to send for him. Frustrated by the lack of available teaching positions, she works as a "floating" office temp. To have some consistency in her life she joins the church choir as it is beginning to rehearse Handel's Messiah. The movie is about this woman's interaction with the other choir members and challenges the choir faces leading up to the performance of this music. Watch for Ruth Nelson (Inez) as a sweet, older realist who is quite an encourager. She also played the encouraging teacher in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn from the 1940's.

Quiet and effective as well as entertaining

[Marta · 8 January 2000]

This is one of those TV movies that builds quietly and steadily to an emotional finish. Michael Learned plays a recently divorced woman who moves to another city with her slightly rebellious teenager. She has to build her life again among strangers, and she begins by joining a local church and their choir. The choirmaster, played with real spleen by John Houseman, is a perfectionist and they clash right from the start. Learned has many other pressures in her life, not the least of which is an ex-husband trying to gain favor with his son, and she begins to feel that the choirmaster is more an enemy than a friend. Just when she's ready to quit the choir, several things happen that reaffirm her faith in God and in herself, and she stays.

This isn't shown anymore, and is difficult to find. But it's worth a look if you run across it, and it's perfect for the Christmas season.

Well

[Christmas-Reviewer · 6/10 · 24 August 2016]

Thus Made for TV-movie is in public domain. That means anybody can release this film on DVD or broadcast it for free. So I am hoping that someone will release a decent looking DVD. If someone did they might make a small fortune,

In this film there is several stories going on and they all revolve around a church in San Francisco.

There is one story of a woman who is new to the area and recently single.

Another story is about a tough task master of choir director.

There is more but in general the whole film could of ended a little sooner. The song at the end felt an EXTENDED scene you would find as an extra on a DVD. I think this scene was extended out to fill out a running time.

The nicest thing about this film was it one of the few movies out there that entire cast is over 30.

If you find a decent looking DVD let me know. I might enjoy it more if I had a clear copy of the film

Mrs. Walton on an Island of Misfit Goys

[GaryPeterson67 · 3/10 · 9 December 2007]

My family and I sat down to watch A Christmas WITHOUT SNOW expecting a heartwarming holiday movie. It wasn't that at all. The kids dropped off to sleep quickly in a way reminiscent of the opening credits to QUINCY. It is a drama that is only incidentally a Christmas movie.

This film is filled first frame to last with very unlikable people. Michael Learned's character Zoe is self-centered and personifies the Me Generation of that era. She has left her husband and moved to San Francisco, leaving her young son in the care of her Mom. When her mother calls Zoe and questions the choices she's making in life, Zoe simply hangs up on her. When we do meet her son later in the movie (after he runs away and takes the bus to Frisco to be with his Mom), we see he's as undisciplined and self-willed an apple as the tree he fell from. And neither mother or son seem interested in calling Grandma back in Omaha, who was frantic with fear over the boy's fate.

At this point I expected the mother and son relationship to take center stage, but the boy is almost immediately consigned to the film's periphery.

It may be unfair, but Learned's character was even more difficult for me to warm up to because she is imprinted on my mind as Olivia Walton (especially playing this role only a year after THE WALTONS ended). I was frustrated that she rudely rebuffed the stable but square Henry (who admittedly got too frisky too fast), and scandalized that later she flirted with a choir member's brother who's swinging demeanor and delivery reminded me of a serious version of the sleazy Larry from THREE'S COMPANY.

The supporting cast is excellent and features several familiar faces. Ramon Bieri as Henry especially stands out in a role very different from the tough guys he always seemed to play on shows like GUNSMOKE. James Cromwell is also outstanding as the long-suffering pastor of a struggling parish. Remembering him primarily from comedic roles around this time (especially his side-splitting Stretch Cunningham on ALL IN THE FAMILY) it was a treat to see him playing it straight and doing so well in a dramatic role well over a decade before BABE made him a household name.

John Houseman's performance as the cranky choirmaster Ephraim Adams didn't greatly impress me (he seems always to play a grouch over-enunciating the last word of every sentence), but it did make me appreciate more the performance and character of Ed Bogas as Seth Reuben. Looking at Bogas' IMDb page I see this was his only acting appearance in a movie (he's best known as a composer of music for everything from the x-rated Fritz the Cat film to the Garfield cartoon series). Seth's surprisingly impassioned explosion when Ephraim is possibly dying in the hospital indicates that there is a paternal bond between these two characters. In what may be a flight of fancy, I suspect it is implied in their character names. In the Book of Genesis, Adam's third son is named Seth and it is his line that carries on the godly seed. Later in Genesis, Reuben tries to usurp his father Jacob's position by sleeping with one of his concubines. In the film, the protégé Reuben does take his master's position, but only reluctantly and with trepidation, until he sees Ephraim's approving eyes upon him.

The choir is comprised of a grab-bag of neurotics and uphill battlers. Muriel, a woman with many problems that seem harmless until they're not. Wendell is an angry black college kid, but with good reasons: He's mocked by street thugs for singing in the choir; a fellow choir member turns him into the police without bothering to get any facts and his supposedly loving grandmother who is supporting him through college comes in and interrogates him about why he's up and what is he drinking (just a cup of coffee). Grandma is so disengaged from his life that she doesn't even know the denomination of the church he belongs to. When she asks an older fellow, he randily replies, "The Church of Beautiful Women," while he fondles his 72-year-old girlfriend he picked up at choir practice.

Among the neurotic and dysfunctional characters one must include the church itself. It is a mainline Protestant church that functions more as a working class country club, existing primarily for social functions. Where is the firm foundation and moral compass it should provide its members? There is hysterics and loss of faith when death strikes, suspicion and unforgiveness and immorality among its people. When Cromwell's character comes back to the church from the hospital where he realizes all he has are clichés and empty words of comfort to offer a grieving widow, I was reminded of Gunnar Bjornstrand's pastor in Bergman's WINTER LIGHT. Does this pastor possess genuine faith in Christ and the Gospel, or is he just professing it since it is his life's work? Christmas WITHOUT SNOW really is a Christmas movie without joy and without much hope when the end credits roll. Whether it is realistic and whether that is a virtue is debatable. I did enjoy watching it once, but I probably won't seek it out again.

I watched this movie as one of many Christmas programs included on a three-disc DVD from St. Clair called The Christmas Collection that I found for five dollars in the bargain bin. It's a rough print with some bad splices, but appears complete and is watchable. (And the set comes with a few Christmas episodes of THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES and the JACK BENNY SHOW to bring back the good cheer and happy holiday feelings that may have been dampened by A Christmas WITHOUT SNOW.)

Can you Handel the Messiah?

[Sylviastel · 7/10 · 11 January 2014]

An all star cast with a mediocre script allows this film to sparkle around the holiday season. Michael Learned plays a divorced mother who relocates to San Francisco, California from Omaha, Nebraska where she chooses to start over. She is a qualified teacher but can't get a teaching job. She finds happiness and fulfillment as a choir member at a local church. The new choir master is wonderfully played by John Houseman. The minister is finely played by James Cromwell. This television movie has a feel good feeling overall despite the quality. I love the San Francisco shots in the background. Overall, it's not a bad film even with an uneven script. I don't know why Zoe (Llearned's character) moved to the city while leaving her son behind in Omaha.

Well acted but not exactly a standout film due to the less than engaging plot

[planktonrules · 5/10 · 22 September 2014]

Michael Learned stars as a newly divorced woman who has left her Midwest life and moved to San Francisco. Her son, oddly, was left behind with her mother and the plan is to eventually have him move in with his mother....eventually. In the meantime, she gets involved with a local church choir and their performance of Handel's Messiah. While there are a few subplots here and there, for the most part the film shows the choir practicing with their somewhat intimidating choir director (John Houseman--playing pretty much his Professor Kingsfield character from "The Paper Chase").

The film has some very nice acting and offers a slice of life. However, none of it is terribly interesting or compelling and if you don't like hearing chorale music, the film might be a big tough to take--especially since the focus seems to be more on the performance than on connecting with the characters. Overall, I found it to be mildly diverting and assume that the average person would find this all a bit boring. Additionally, the ending is a bit vague, and I am sure this won't satisfy many viewers.

But with a believable script and well drawn characters

[wisewebwoman · 8/10 · 13 December 2000]

I just watched this movie again, must be my fourth viewing, and it really holds up. It just never fails to get to me emotionally.

The story is simple, but it is the characters and their backgrounds that engage the viewer. There are no simple solutions to the problems presented, unlike the emotionally manipulative movies of today.

A young widow grieves for her dead husband, someone suffers a stroke, a father and son resolve a tremendous difficulty with a very slow smile at each other and no words are spoken.

Each story stands on its own. A microcosm of life. One does suffer, there is sometimes no magic solution, just a choir and an ambitious undertaking of "The Messiah" to get your mind off the same old, same old.

Michael Learned, what has ever happened to her, a great performance. Also John Houseman being John Houseman, a delight. Not one jarring note from the large cast.

An 8 out of 10. Catch this one if you can.

Kristmas with the Kranks--NOT!

[mmthos · 7/10 · 4 September 2021]

Trials and tribulations of the various members of a not-so-hot San Francisco church choir while preparing their snowless California Christmas concert of Handel's "Messiah". Revolving around a divorcee (Michael Learned) newly arrived from Omaha, where, Christmas come, it snows. Distinguished cast of veteran, largely stage, actors, portraying distinct characters with distinction, in a somewhat- less-sappy-than-Hallmarkesque heart-tugger, presided over by the inimitable John Houseman in a superb signature performance. An appreciation of choral music highly recommended for fullest viewing enjoyment.

As the title suggests, not just a run-of-the-mill holiday movie.

Aimless catch-all forced film falls flat

[SimonJack · 4/10 · 16 January 2017]

Had this been a movie just about a church choir coming together to produce Handel's Messiah, it could have been something notable and watchable. But "A Christmas Without Snow" has so many mini-plots and diversions that they detract even from the music. This film is a hodgepodge. It's slow moving, and we get just snapshots of the myriad characters – all of whom seem to have problems, if not pathos in their past.

The dull, aimless plot kills this movie. It tries to include everything, and thus does little justice to anything. So, while the acting is OK, the story seems forced. Was CBS trying to make a politically correct – for the time – Christmas story? By putting too much in and trying to be all- inclusive, CBS wound up with a film that gives so little. But for the music – the singing that the film does have, it wouldn't earn even the four stars I give it.

I fell asleep three times watching this on DVD. I can't imagine it holding the interest of children at all. While there aren't that many great Christmas films, many good ones have been made over the years. "A Christmas Without Snow" is a film best forgotten.

above average holiday flick

[thomandybish · 8/10 · 10 December 2005]

This seemingly forgotten telefilm is far and away better that the current crop of yuletide dreck being offered by the likes of the Hallmark Channel and various others. A Christmas Without Snow offers a great cast, intelligent writing, and characters we care about. As other reviews have stated, Michael Learned plays a divorcée starting over in San Francisco who, in an attempt to find some stability, joins a church choir which is about to attempt an ambitious mounting of Handel's Messiah. John Houseman is the no-nonsense director who demands perfection from his choir. As the choir progresses toward its performance of the musical masterpiece, we gain insight into the lives and personalities of various members. What other reviewers have missed is the sense of community among the diverse parishioners/choir members, something that reflects positively on the traditional Christian church. In almost vignette-type fashion, we get to know these people, their loves, hopes, hurts, and see them rally together to tackle the Messiah and also the various problems they encounter as a church and as individuals. There are no quick fixes, no tidy happy endings. Yet these people have each other and the satisfaction of working hard at their endeavors. There's support, there's love, and there's a lot that is healthy and thriving and growing. Intelligent and life-affirming without being syrupy. Recommended.

Heartwarming TV movie.

[dariosmagata · 7/10 · 25 December 2019]

Given that I bought this movie on a dollar-store DVD and discovered it was an old made-for-TV movie, I was not expecting much. However, I was really pleasantly surprised by this one as it comes off as a very genuine and heartwarming film.

The film centers around a San Francisco choir which comes under the director of a strict new choirmaster, Ephraim Adams (John Houseman). He wants to whip them into shape in time for them to perform Handel's "Messiah" on Christmas, a difficult task due to the amateur nature of the group. Among the members are a recently divorced woman (Michael Learned), a shy Korean woman who deserves a solo but is reluctant to audition (Daisietta Kim), a friendly Dutch man (Ramon Bieri) and an African-American boy who cares for his old grandmother (Calvin Levels). Also present is the pastor of the church where they will perform (James Cromwell) along with his rebellious son. Throughout the story these and other characters encounter difficulties including a botched romance, jealousy among members, and the destruction of the church's pipe organ (resulting in some humorous incidents with an electronic instrument).

John Houseman is brilliant as the choirmaster who comes off as overly demanding but clearly loves and respects his craft. The other actors and actresses are all good and most of the characters are well developed. The woman played by Michael Learned is set up as our main character but she fades into the group throughout much of the middle of the film - which is perhaps for the best as there is much more going on in the narrative than just her story.

Overall, this is a great film which captures the real spirit of the Christmas season. At times it does get a bit soap opera-ish and carried away with all its characters, but in a holiday TV movie that's to be expected. Definitely recommended if you can track down a copy.

A Choir Has Many Problems

[Rainey-Dawn · 3/10 · 22 November 2022]

The film is about a divorced woman who moves to a new city to start a new life. She gets a new job and joins a church choir. The choir get a new choirmaster about the same time and he's tough on the choir trying to whip it into shape before Christmas. Several problems within the amateur choir: ageism, racism, broken organ, bad health, divorces, single parenting, relationships, and more.

The group starts out singing awful but by the end they all sing fairly well together.

The film is slow, rather boring most of the time but has it's moments of being mildly interesting. I'd say pass this film up to watch a good movie.

3/10.

Finding happiness in a church choir and helping others.

[mark.waltz · 6/10 · 28 November 2015]

Quiet divorcée Michael Learned makes a new life for herself in San Francisco and finds a life she couldn't imagine from before. Lonely without her young son with her, she becomes an on-looker in the private lives of the troubled members of the choir and through her total unselfishness helps her fellow members look forward to a merry Christmas and a brighter future.

Many familiar character actors have little bits of drama to express their inner turmoils with the highlights being a young black man facing hardships in his desperation to escape his struggling existence and an aging chorus member who must take a different role in the choir when her voice begins to fail her.

John Houseman gloriously hams it up as the demanding but ultimately kind choir director while the sweet faced Beach Richards provides wisdom and guidance as the troubled Calvin Level's hardworking grandmother. James Cromwell is wise and funny as the church's minister. A lot of time is shown at the rehearsals and various performances, and a twist towards the end leads to near tragedy.

Overall a decent T.V. movie that is honest and refreshing in the sense that it looks at real human beings. Learned, as always. is totally likable, but is more of the eyes rather than the mouth of the story. Great San Francisco location shots are nice as well.

Choppy TV Film That Has a Lot of Loose Ends

[DKosty123 · 5/10 · 19 December 2019]

It was obvious watching the DVD that the TV movie has a lot of choppy equences. There is a sequence of someone with a baby and no explanation about who they are and why they are there. Some of the commercial breaks go from one sequence to another totally unrelated sequence.

What good is John Houseman playing the new choir director, and Michael Learned playing the divorcee who for some totally unexplained reason (due to the script) has moved to San Francisco alone. Meanwhile, there are the choirs members who go from one whose voice is too old, to another who has a huge ego and quits, to several of them (not Learned) who have great voices. The plot centers around the choir getting a new director and in a short time frame prepare for a performance of the Messiah.

There's more sub plots than the typical TV film, but there are loose ends in the film that make it unsatifsfying because things tend to get choppy. It seems that that Learned is well suited to play a divorcee considering in real life she has had 4 spouses. She has 3 sons, though suddenly her son she left with her mom in the mid-west runs away from home and pops up at her door. There is very little interaction between the 2 of them after he arrives due to the limit of tv movies.

The film tries to do too much, though I was surprised to see a rare view of Leanred throughout the film as a dyed blonde with dark roots. Nothing like Olivia Walton on the TV show in appearance, Houseman does his usual character as the pompous choir director, and is excellent. Meanwhile, the main plot twist is the church being vandalized, but not by the folks you'd suspect. It's a small twist along with Houseman having a stroke before the big concert.

This films biggest asset is the choir music especially the Messiah sequences at the end. Trouble is it too is choppy and can't really save a film that appears to have been made on a shoestring with a strong cast. The tv movie is not aging real well either. It does show diversity in the cast in an era where diversity was not yet a big message in our society. Trouble is even that message comes off as a little shallow.

A Christmas with Transcendence

[rkbyers · 9/10 · 18 December 2005]

In many ways, this wonderful movie shows its age, especially in its very hip portrayal of how modern people, albeit of the late 70's, should be acting. Fortunately, there is a great deal of traditionalism which is left standing, although one guesses that it is just as a warm fuzzy. As in the modern world, the people of the movie are overwhelmed with the difficulties of life. Perhaps, though, like the majestic pipe organ itself, the movie demonstrates how our being requires a complete overhaul, climbing out of the dirty reality of life into the beautiful world of the spirit.

The star of the movie is the music and it is warm and grand and as wonderful an occasion as one can possibly imagine. The movie itself is a wonderful enigma: it traces the sometimes empty and disillusioning physical reality of daily life and lackluster choir practices and somehow results in the very symbol of Christmas, much like that of the birth of Christ Himself. As He was born into this world, filled with sin and suffering, yet so we can transcend our physical reality into the spiritual reality of the greatest beauty. Handel wrote this wonderful music when he was almost unknown, didn't even become famous for it, and these unassuming, ordinary people perform it. There are always two levels to life and the movie lets you see them both.

I dislike how Zoë treats Henry and Muriel is certainly somewhat of a caricature. However, no one could imagine how difficult it must be to grow up as a pastor's son or daughter and the strain is something we should think about. Yet ultimately, we hear the glory of the music and we are raised to another level, despite Houseman's constant outward bitterness and overly irritating grousing at every corner. As in daily life, you often have to see beneath the surface to find the prize.

In the end, I felt sorry for Henry, Muriel and even Mrs. Burns. Their lives were, at the end of the movie, somewhat empty... except for the beauty of the music in which at least two of them were a part, singing glory to God and peace on earth. Even though the Messiah was first performed at Easter, one can't help feeling the Christmas spirit through Handel. This is a must-see for anyone who loves Handel and Christmas. God bless us everyone!

Not a bad Christmas film

[dsp21953 · 8/10 · 22 December 2009]

I have to admit I wasn't expecting much from this 1980 TV movie. However, "A Christmas Without Snow" is a nice little film to put on in the mood for the Christmas holiday. It is about a church choir getting ready to sing Handle's "Messiah" for the Christmas concert at their church. There are some trials and tribulations along the way, but I'm not going to spoil the movie for others. I'll give you a hint, the hardships are overcome with the spirit of Christmas. There are two standouts in this movie. One is James Cromwell as Reverend Lohman. Mr. Cromwell makes one believe he truly is the pastor of this San Francisco church. The other standout is the late Ramon Bieri, he was typically cast in tough guy, villain, or corrupt official roles. In this film Mr. Bieri plays a "salt of the earth type of man." In fact, Mr. Bieri portrays a man one would like to have as his next door neighbor/friend. Clearly James Cromwell and Ramon Bieri stand out in this Christmas TV flick. Check it out and you will enjoy it.

Deceptively Simple

[m_aronson · 9/10 · 26 December 2007]

When this was first broadcast back in 1980, we taped it for later viewing because, as pro singers, we were both out (where else?) singing Christmas concerts. On the surface, this would seem to be yet another retelling of the cliché that the Christmas spirit has the magical (and cloying) power to bring us all together, mend fences, cure global warming, etc., etc. But it's more. Each character, even the minor ones, faces a moment of realization that the status quo of his or her life is simply not enough to meet the needs of reality.

In leaving a bad marriage, Zoe strives to be a more fulfilled person, but also understands that her decision will ultimately benefit her ex-husband and son as well; rather than an expression of selfishness, it's a wrenching left turn that frees them all from a future of ennui and anger. Plenty of preachers make it through their careers without having to stray from the bland platitudes they learned in seminary, but the Rev. Lohman (James Cromwell) is grabbed by the scruff of his faith and compelled to deal with a world that isn't "nice," where pain and injustice don't just melt away. Even Muriel is forced to climb out of the frantic little box of fears she has built for herself, even if it's just a step or two. In fact, the only character who doesn't approach a state of satori is the "professional" soprano, who must protect her fragile ego at all costs, and thus becomes the one truly unsympathetic character.

I've never really thought about this little film until now, but always wondered why it was so satisfying year after year. Now I know.

One more note -- I bought a DVD version of this film last year in the hope of improving on the quality of my 27-year-old Beta (!). Sadly, it's just as choppy as the original, as if the negative were lost and all that's left for striking new copies is a work print. Also, does anyone else think the ending is a bit abrupt, as if there were about three minutes of resolution that had to be cut? Happy New Year!

My very favorite Christmas movie!

[nnwahler · 8/10 · 19 December 2017]

Well, this film is certainly not the greatest holiday movie ever; that honor would belong to either "It's A Wonderful Life" or the Alastair Sim version of "Scrooge." But it's the one movie I pull out every single year without fail. Michael Learned (the mother on "The Waltons") plays a lead character heading up a wagonload of talented actors, including John Houseman, Beah Richards, and James Cromwell.

Zoe Jensen (Learned) is a Nebraska divorcee trying to reestablish herself in San Francisco and quickly starts her new social life by joining a church choir preparing Handel's "Messiah" ; Houseman is a retired choir director who is extremely demanding. Houseman's performance is the usual exemplary work, even if his "conducting" is often off the beat, as he gazes at his off-screen conducting coach.

Zoe's social circle quickly expands to include fellow Dane from the old country, Henry Quist (Ramon Bieri), neighbor Muriel (Valerie Curtin), the church's pastor (ever-reliable James Cromwell), a black student and his supportive grandmother (Calvin Levels and Beah Richards), the erstwhile accompanist/organist (the very talented Ed Bogas), and a diverse group of many others. Director and co-writer John Korty helps contribute a very believable script with three-dimensional characters, in a story sprinkled with cliffhangers.

I watched this TV-movie on the night it first aired on CBS, the night after John Lennon's assassination, so between "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and this event, as well as the present film, I ended the day emotionally wasted.

A church choir is not without its problems

[sixpence1106 · 8 January 2014]

Zoe is a divorced woman who moves to San Francisco to start a new life. She's left her son with her mom while she gets situated. Zoe decides to join a very small church choir. They have just hired a strong minded choirmaster. Even though they are just amateurs, he demands perfection from the members. They are a quirky group, who we get to know as the movie progresses. After going through personal issues with members and the choirmaster, a broken organ and other small dramas, she isn't sure its worth staying in the choir. She hopes she made the right decision to stay. Their performance of the Messiah, looks like it may not happen when and unfortunate incident happens just before Christmas. The movie is a little slow, but if you enjoy a nice little movie, with an interesting story line, good acting and enjoy listening to Handel's Messiah (which is sung throughout the movie), you will enjoy it.