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The Christmas Candle

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Genre
  
Drama

Running time
  
1h 40m

Initial DVD release
  
November 4, 2014 (USA)

Language
  
English

5.6/10
IMDb


Director
  
John Stephenson

Duration
  

Story by
  
Max Lucado

Country
  
United Kingdom United States

The Christmas Candle movie poster

Release date
  
25 November 2013 (2013-11-25) (United States) 13 December 2013 (2013-12-13) (United Kingdom)

Writer
  
Candace Lee (screenplay), Max Lucado (based on the novel by), Eric Newman (screenplay)

Cast
  
Hans Matheson
(David Richmond),
Samantha Barks
(Emily Barstow),
Lesley Manville
(Bea Haddington),
Sylvester McCoy
(Edward Haddington),
James Cosmo
(Herbert Hopewell),
Susan Boyle
(Eleanor Hopewell)

Similar movies
  
Noelle (2007), War Room (2015), Like Dandelion Dust (2009), Saving Christmas (2014), Gods Not Dead (2014)

Tagline
  
Believe the Miracle

The Christmas Candle is a 2013 British-American Christmas drama film.

Contents

The Christmas Candle movie scenes

Introduction

The Christmas Candle movie scenes

It is based on Max Lucado's novel The Christmas Candle. The film is an Impact and Big Book Media Production presented by Pinewood Pictures being distributed by Rick Santorum's film production company EchoLight Studios in the US and by Pinewood Pictures in the UK. It is Susan Boyle's debut on the big screen. Boyle also contributes an original song to the film, "Miracle Hymn".

Locations

The Christmas Candle t2gstaticcomimagesqtbnANd9GcQvjbZju086NKkY3

It was shot in Gloucestershire, Worcestershire and in the Isle of Man. Locations included Stanway House, Tudor House in the Worcestershire village of Broadway, and the Wiltshire village of Biddestone, including the White Horse pub. Studio work was completed on the Isle of Man in the Mountain View Media Village studios in Lezayre.

Summary

In the fictional village of Gladbury, every twenty-five years an angel visits the candlemaker and bestows a miracle upon whomever lights the Christmas Candle. However, shortly after the arrival of a new pastor, David Richmond in 1890, the Christmas Candle goes missing.

Theology

The Christmas Candle makes use of the Bible and the main character, the pastor, quotes Jesus from the Gospels while focusing on the Advent season. The viewpoint of the movie is a mixture of Protestant and Roman Catholic theology, where the main character is struggling to find his lost faith.

Cast

  • Hans Matheson as David Richmond
  • Samantha Barks as Emily Barstow
  • Lesley Manville as Bea Haddington
  • Sylvester McCoy as Edward Haddington
  • James Cosmo as Herbert Hopewell
  • Susan Boyle as Eleanor Hopewell
  • Barbara Flynn as Lady Camdon
  • John Hannah as William Barstow
  • Jude Wright as Charlie
  • Emily Shewell as Orphan Sarah
  • Reception

    The film received 18% positive reviews on the aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. The New York Daily News described it as a "Dickens-meets-Sunday-school movie", and that it was "as artless as the setup [was] muddled". The New York Post referred to it as a "throwback, made-for-TV-style film" with a "cheesy climax". The Arizona Republic judged it as "resolutely stiff and hollow".

    Rare positive reviews included The Portsmouth News, which gave the film 4 stars writing "Boyle's performance is endearing and her stunning vocal talent continues to dazzle while the gentle chemistry between Matheson and Barks complements the piece without upstaging the film's central ideas." The Los Angeles Times wrote, "Hammy histrionics of a Hallmark movie are present, but its message of community and faith shines brighter." The Dove Foundation awarded 5 Doves as a "Family-Approved" film.

    The film expanded from five to over 390 venues for its second week.

    References

    The Christmas Candle Wikipedia
    The Christmas Candle IMDbThe Christmas Candle Rotten TomatoesThe Christmas Candle Roger EbertThe Christmas Candle MetacriticThe Christmas Candle themoviedb.org