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It’s been a lot of fun following the production of “Homeless for the Holidays” in northeast Indiana during this past year, and it felt great to watch such a fine finished product in the theaters this weekend.
The movie follows marketing executive Jack Baker (Matt Moore), who has built the “perfect” life in the town of Wooded Falls - a beautiful wife, Sheryl (Crystal Dewitt-Hinkle); two cute kids, Adam (Cole Brandenberger) and Michelle (Gabrielle Phillips); a mound of credit card debt; and a house he can barely afford. Jack takes the fall for a mistake his company makes and ends up donning a costume and taking a major pay cut to work at Penguin Point. Of course, he can’t keep up the lifestyle to which he has become accustomed, and Christmas starts to look pretty grim.
OK, I have to admit that it was pretty cool to see people and places I know on a big movie screen. The movie was filmed in Auburn, Garrett, Butler, Grabill and other points around the northeast Indiana, and many local people appeared on screen as main characters and as extras in the background. (There even was a great cameo by Star reporter Kathryn Bassett. We better watch out that she doesn’t end up in Hollywood after her big-screen debut!) If nothing else, it’s worth seeing “Homeless for the Holidays” just to see the people and places!
But more than that, the story of “Homeless for the Holidays” is a wonderful and important tale for the current economic times. So many people are in a similar situation to Jack and his family, and the roller-coaster of emotions that Jack and Sheryl go through during their ordeal ring true for anybody who has gone through hard times. According to the film’s Web site at breathmotionpictures, com, writer/director/producer George A. Johnson went through a similar situation to the story in the film, and it shows. The writing is authentic, and Moore and Dewitt-Hinkle do a great job bringing the great screenplay to life.
“Homeless for the Holidays” is an inspirational and unabashedly Christian story, and one that got me a little misty-eyed more than once. It’s a sweet story with a happy ending, but it doesn’t stray too far into saccharine or preachy territory like many movies. Its production values are nearly as good as any big-budget Hollywood movie, and it has a better story and is more heartwarming and inspirational than most of the movies released in the theaters. In getting ready for the crazy holiday season, I can’t think of a better movie to see than “Homeless for the Holidays.”
Jenny’s Take: See it tonight.
(Unrated, but I found no offensive content in the movie. Runs 112 minutes.)
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