The Christmas Shoes

source: The Christmas Shoes

This is an uplifting made-for-TV Christmas movie, a story about young Nathan Andrews (Max Morrow) who tries to raise money get a pair of dancing shoes for his dying mother, Maggie (Kimberly Williams-Paisley). In the meantime, lawyer Robert Layton (Rob Lowe) is dealing with marital issues and the course of events lead him to cross paths with Nathan. Many made-for-TV Christmas movies are sappy, happy-go-lucky and a little bit corny to say the least. This movie is a heartfelt and meaningful story that will bring tears to your eyes, especially seeing young Nathan's enduring mission to buy a pair of his mother's favorite dancing shoes for Christmas. It shows how strong of a love a child has for his mother, something we should feel inspired from. The parallel plot regarding Robert's life is intriguing and I thought it assimilated well with the Christmas shoes plot; it was interesting to see how the course of events from both stories relate towards each other, resulting in some emotional and uplifting results. The acting was good and the direction by Andy Wolk was solid. A highly recommended Christmas movie that is perfect for the entire family. Grade A

I absolutly loved this movie. All of the acting was great, every single character was well done! I have only heard the song on the film though, so I cannot compare it to that! But I loved this movie, and it will defeniatly be added to my Christmas movies list for the holiday season!!!

This movie is excellent. I cried and cried and cried. I don't know how any bad person or anyone for that matter could watch such a movie and not change their ways. Watch it. Anyone would have to love it. This film was great in every way and the storyline about the shoes was just awesome. The shoes changed everyone's life and the actor's and actresses were incredible with the storyline. This movie was absolutely the best movie that I have seen so far this year. I loved it. I will watch it again. Rob Lowe talks about how his life was changed when he seen the little boy in the store when he was younger and bought him the shoes for his mom who was dying. He no longer was a jerk because his life didn't seem so bad after hearing this little boy heartbroken for his dying mother. Rob Lowe remembers this day when he notices the shoes in a church's community box for donations. Charlie's dad gets these shoes out and throws them in his truck. He has a little boy (Charlie) who is also dying because of a failing heart. Charlie's mom died when he was young in a car crash and he never learns of it because the dad was always to scared to tell him of her accident. So he lies to him and tells him that she is a dancer. When he gets older and questions him, he hands him the shoes from his truck and tells him that they were his mother's. Apparently all of the pictures of her burned up a fire in their trailer home. This little boy became friends with the doctor aka the little boy from the past who gave his mom the Christmas shoes. This doctor is also in love with Charlie's teacher who is now in the hospital ill and needs a liver transplant. Charlie gets very bad off on Christmas Eve when his father finally realizes that he needs to know the truth. Charlie is lying in bed very sick when his friend the doctor comes to see him. He gives the doctor the shoes and tells him to give them to his teacher. The dad comes in right before he passes with a Christmas present. It is a picture of his mom so he knows what she looks like when he gets to heaven. The doctor gives the teacher the shoes after she recovers from the liver transplant (from Charlie). She ends up getting well and Rob Lowe buys her a house to start a daycare in that she had been trying very hard to raise money for. She names it Charlie's House after him. It was so good.

Before watching this movie, I was aware of the great song but not aware that the movie was based on a book. I thought the movie was OK for a TV movie and the acting only average (although Hugh Thompson and Max Morrow stood out for me) so why the 7 star rating? Gosh darn it, sometimes there's a movie out there that comes along that just gets to me emotionally and reaching for the tissue box. It's very rare for a guy like me that doesn't shed a lot of tears but this is one of those movies. It offers up to us just what is important in life and we should all be aware of that message. Parental guidance recommended for those with small children.

Once i heard the song i bought the CD and the book. Then the movie came out on TV. I have to say that the whole thing makes you re-think what X-mas is all about. And i cant wait to get the DVD to make my collection complete. I just wish there was more movies and songs out there that were like this one. Then maybe ppl wouldnt be so greedy during the holidays, it is not about you it is abouthe ppl around you. Thank you Happy Holidays

Rob Lowe plays a lawyer who is so obsessed with work that he misses a school concert where his daughter has a solo. He is also having problems with his marriage. Kimberly Williams is the volunteer choral director who finds out she has a fatal condition requiring a heart transplant for a cure to take place. Two families cross paths in a number of instances. Lowe's wife takes over for Williams, canceling an important job interview her husband worked hard to arrange. Williams' husband is the mechanic who ends up working on Lowe's car. Later in the movie, Williams' son, fearing his mother will be having her last Christmas, seeks to buy Williams a pair of special shoes which Lowe earlier found lying in the street, mysteriously intended to be delivered to a department store which did not order them. Lowe gets the shoes to the store (eventually) and later plays a role in helping the boy buy the shoes. The boy's teacher rents a room from Lowe's mother, who we know will probably die during the movie, since Lowe is visiting her grave at the movie's start, 15 years after her death. The boy faces numerous obstacles in his quest for the shoes, and while miracles do happen in the movie, not everything comes out the way you would hope.

This is now my all-time favorite Christmas movie.I am hoping to buy the video as soon as it is available. I have not read the book, but have the song. I am so glad they made a movie such as this one and I can't believe it wasn't a Hallmark movie-it should be.

The wife and I both watched the movie awhile back and thoroughly enjoyed it.This movie brought on the true meaning and spirit of Christmas that is within all of us if we would only nurture it. The sequel was also quite heartwarming. This is sure to be a Christmas classic to watch every year and will be one I'm sure along with the other great ones. The story was well written and flowed smoothly along with no twists and mundane added scenes or unnecessary ones.The acting by all cast members was superb and well delivered.Heartwarming it definitely was and a tearjerker to boot.This is the type movie that should be watched during the year and not just at Christmas as the story is so appealing to us all.I hope to see it very soon on DVD in the USA.

I watched this a friend who randomly bought it. She's more into sentimental films whereas I'm admittedly not, though I enjoy a good one. This one misses the mark by quite a bit. Some of the acting was decent (a lot wasn't), but unless you get completely into the sentimental moralistic theme of the film, the rest is laughably bad. The story is simply ludicrous and feels completely contrived. Even my friend couldn't take it seriously. Once I realized she wasn't into at all; I stopped biting my tongue and we did enjoy poking fun at it. After all that, I understand why a lot of people would enjoy the movie. I would liken it to my enjoying some poorly made action movies or comedies. The movie was not well made in most respects, but if you enjoy this sort of thing give it a try; if you don't, run, don't walk, run to the nearest exit.