Angel in the House

Let me start off by saying when it comes to warm holiday fun family movies there are some that will almost always come out on top and then there are some usually starring b grade sitcom actors that should only have ever made it to the ideas bank. Once you've seen Foster you can make that decision for yourself. Foster is a 2011 film that stars Toni Collette (Muriels Wedding, Mental) as Zooey Morrison and Ioan Gruffudd (Fantastic Four, W.) as Alec Morrison a long time married couple who have been together since high school, both have failing businesses and it seems their marriage if heading the same direction as well. After trying to for a child for a little while the pair end up at a foster care home ready to invest their love. They sit the initial meeting with the carer of the children Mrs. Lange played by Hayley Mills (The Parent Trap, That Darn Cat) and leave. A day or two later there is a knock at the door and one of the children from the home stands waiting to be let in he has the signed documents and a suitcase and is ready to become the newest member of the family. Eli played by Maurice Cole speaks impeccably, dresses miraculously and pretty much knows something about everything and seems to be the perfect child… Foster is a film made ideally for families, it has it's funny moments as well as its warm moments, sad moments and of course its more than happy ending with a few twists here and there to help it along. The funny thing with twists though in movies is that they can make anything happen. With all its gleeful happiness and touching tender moments there were a few things that it did disappoint me in from the very beginning. The first little niggle for me was the horrible Scottish accent that Toni used throughout the film, it was more than disturbing and sounded so fake, I can't even think of anything to compare it was that bad. The second little annoyance I found was the child, I get he is meant to be some kind of old soul but some of the things he was saying were just laughable and cringe worthy. The script could have been so much better and I'm guessing the budget went pretty much to the starring actors as well as Richard E Grant who plays the local homeless guy who has all the solutions. Apart from a more than predictable ending I think the film could have been very different if someone a little more creative got involved. It really wants to be a film that is filled with magic, unfortunately it's not. I'm not saying that this was a bad film, in fact if you want to watch a film that doesn't have the bad language, no violence just good wholesome family fun then this would be ideal, especially as a Christmas film where all the family are over the conversations and catch ups have ended and its time to wind down. This film also carries the title "Angel in the house."

This was a lovely family movie that tugs at your heart. It made my heart smile. Such good acting with a sweet story. You can feel sadness for this man and wife and feel what they are going through..Who wouldn't want to adopt that sweet little boy. I found this little actor very endearing and did a excellent job playing little Eli...I don't get anyone saying this movie was sappy or the little boy was creepy..I don't know what movie they were watching but this was not it. A movie for the whole family and was tearful in some spots. The idea of the movie was understood and the end will make you smile through the tears...well done cast for a excellent heart felt movie.. I loved it...

Child actor Maurice Cole is just a little angel figuratively and literally. Maurice Cole who plays an orphaned 7 year old boy named Eli walks unexpectedly into the lives of married couple Zooey (Toni Collette) and Alec (Ioan Gruffudd) just before Christmas. Zooey manages a children's bookstore with her mother and Zooey's husband Alec owns and operates an old fashioned toy factory which his deceased father opened 50 years ago. Alec has been running into tough financial problems the past two years and his older workforce on the toy factory floor who used to work for his father in their hey days are growing impatient due to business slowly evaporating as are their salaries. Now this little 7 year old orphan boy Eli insists on dressing impeccably each day in a neat dress suit, business tie and a fedora and his knowledge of the world economy and politics is astounding. Eli is as cute as a button and he gradually wins over the hearts and then the souls of the heartbroken couple Zooey and Alec who two years earlier suffered a great loss of their own. This is a story of despair, tragic events, financial turmoil, unexplained miracles and a few angels in the house. It will make you laugh, it will make you cry and it will make you feel loved with a spirit greater than the feeling one gets just by saying those magic words...Merry Christmas. A Christmas themed film with a deserving 8 out of 10 rating.

What a great heart felt Movie. I loved this movie. Eli played such a magical part in this movie. I even cried during parts of it. Thanks so much for making such a caring and heart felt movie. I truly loved the spirit of this movie. I hope to see many more movies like this. They just bring the best out of people. I wish, life could be more like this everyday. The cast of this movie was wonderful. Please continue to make more movies like this. I would love to know more movies with Maurice Cole in them. He is a great little actor. Thanks again for bringing the Christmas Spirit into our lives. More people should live their lives this way and get back to the simple things in life, that truly matter. We need to get back down to earth and get away from all of the electronics, that seem to have taken over our lives. We all need to get back to what family means and cherish the families that we have.

I should mention that even though the movie had a title related to Christmas when I saw it, it's not really about Christmas. The holiday does come near the end, though. And Zooey and Alec learn a lot from Eli. Maurice Cole is outstanding. There is no way he is seven years old. He comes across as a short adult and shows a lot of intelligence and appeal. Toni Collette is quite appealing, and when she does smile, it's a very nice smile. But she doesn't smile a lot. The other lead actors do quite well also. In fact, everyone does. Even the employee at Legoland Amusement Park who is only there for the paycheck and cares nothing about his job. It's a very worthwhile effort.

This film is so bad I am considering suing the makers for wasting an hour and a half of my time. It is obviously meant to be whimsical and uplifting on similar lines to" It's A Wonderful Life", but it is merely ridiculous and entirely predictable from start to finish. Why do Anne Reiid (English) and Toni Collette (Australian) have Scottish accents? Why is the boy dressed like Alan Bennett? Just...WHY?

Drawing inspiration from "It's a Wonderful Life" and urban legends involving giving a ride to the ghost of that girl that was killed after the prom 20 years ago, "Angel in the House" as it is known in the U.S. looks like it may have been a Hallmark TV movie in the UK. Quirky Australian Toni Collette dons a heavy Scottish accent and reaches for warmth and pathos but her past characterizations - particularly in the U.S. television show "United States of Tara" - make the viewer assume her character isn't crazy from grief but rather just plain crazy. She's married to the standard clueless white male character that now populates every non-action movie since "Mr. Mom". Into their disorderly existence walks in a offputtingly polite and well-dressed seven year old who naps a lot and Mr. Potts a homeless drifter who the viewer assumes is secretly a serial killer. While the script follows precisely the trajectory you expect once the basis premise has been established, the desired effect of touching warmth and personal growth never quite comes together. While Collette's awkward characterization of the grief stricken mother is one issue, the weirdness of the visiting foster child and his minder Mr. Pots are perhaps more at fault. The cinematography doesn't help, never has a day at Windsor, England's LEGOLAND looked quite as overcast and as little fun. Also, the father's idea to save his dying toy business is just stupid and fairly cynical. In short, a fairly good film to hate watch but not one to touch your heart.

One of the best movies I have ever watched. Very touching story of a family trying to cope with the unfathomable sorrow from the loss of a child. Only to be made worse by not being able to conceive another child. Incredible performance from the boy "Eli" (Maurice Cole). Also heartfelt performances from Toni Collette and Ioan Gruffodd. Cannot believe the sad, cynical people who reviewed this movie negatively using terms like "creepy" and "spooky". Really!? Too bad they all got bogged down in the trivial details of accents and technical issues while missing the whole story being told before them. That unconditional love shown to people will overcome and heal even the deepest hurt and devastation. A lesson that Christ taught us that I fear is lost on the negative reviewers of this movie who could not see past the casting and unimportant details. A tremendous opportunity lost for theses folks. I vote for more movies like this vs. most of the trash that is turned out.

The only reason I gave this one star was because Toni Colette is in it. This is possibly the worst movie I have ever sat all the way through. As bad as it was through the length of the movie, it GOT EVEN WORSE at the end. Why actors like Toni Colette and Richard E. Grant got involved with this piece of smarmy trash is unfathomable. Toni bravely shouldered her way through this sodden, unbelievable mess, but even she couldn't pull two stars out of me. As another reviewer noted, it like the absolute worst of mindless Hollywood pap, but the film is actually British! Sorry, I don't mean to go on about how awful it was, but I'm still in shock from having watched it. I hope that kid never ever gets another role and, for pity's sake, can somebody please ban that writer/director from movie making?

I found this on Sky and despite the title which is irrelevant and does nothing to draw any attention to the film, I looked up the title on here and decided to give it a go, despite mixed reviews. I watched it with my teenage son and we both loved it. It was funny and poignant and a little bit of a mystery ;) I liked all the characters, especially Eli! What a delightful little oddity he is. Sure it is reminiscent of other movies such as "It's a wonderful life" and it is somewhat predictable, but that didn't detract from it at all for me. It made me cry but on the whole it's a tender experience that leaves you with a very warm glow along with the end credits. It should be re-titled as simply "Eli" Whoever called it "Foster" was having a very bad day! It's not going to be everyone's taste but sensitive souls like myself will no doubt appreciate where it is coming from.