For those who purchase this Christmas movie, I HIGHLY recommend viewing the 20-minute or so Special Feature in which the actual Thomas Kinkade comments on the story, his relationship with Glen Wessells, and his art career. It's a fascinating feature and might be more wisely viewed before watching the movie than after the final credits fade. I especially enjoyed the last 30 minutes or so when the movie finally "settled" into what I consider the "meatier" part of the plot. At that point the quality of the movie shifted from a mediocre made-for-TV production -- although,in fact, it was not made-for-TV. During that final half hour, the quality of the story and the acting changed to a much richer depiction of the relationship of young, budding artist Kinkade and the source of his inspiration from the talented real-life painter Glen Wessels (played convincingly by Peter O'Toole), whose physical and mental faculties were failing significantly as Kinkade's were evolving. The last third of the film likewise portrayed much more convincingly that Kinkade's family and home town residents were witnessing the blossoming of a very talented young man's painting career. If the first hour had been as well done as the last 30 minutes, I'd have rated the movie 4 stars. Unfortunately the first hour was lackluster. At one point it seemed that the movie would focus on Thomas Kinkade. Then it seemed to focus on the possible foreclosure of the Kinkade cottage and the mother's and sons' struggles to keep the family's home from the clutches of the mortgage company. There were a couple of other meager attempts to give the story coherence, but those didn't pan out either. Jared Padalecki's performance was very good throughout the film, and O'Toole's went from very good to masterful toward the very end. The rest of the acting by the cast was mediocre, which is surprising considering Marcia Gay Harden had a major role. Due to some lame attempts at crude and suggestive humor, I'd recommend this for adults and older teens.Read full review
Engaging story about small town America and Thomas Kinkade when he was at a starting point in his artistic life. Well acted and no offensive language. What a change from so many shows now !
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
Nice family entertainment. It is really enjoyable to watch without bad language, nudity, violence, etc. Would highly recommend.
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