Christmas Cottage (2008)

"Christmas Cottage" is an autobiographical film about Thomas Kinkade (1958-2012), the "painter of light." I had seen Kinkade's work in shops when I lived on the West Coast from 1987 to 2007. I've also heard and read some of his recent history – up until his death at age 54 in 2012. Based on newspaper reviews, it seems that some critics loved his painting while others didn't. I'm not an art expert or even an aficionado. But I do like some of his work that I've seen.Kinkade came from a broken home with poor to modest beginnings and rose to super success as a commercial artist. In the course of that, he had a religious experience of some sort that molded his character and guided much of his work for many years. He spoke of the importance of family, and he and his wife had four daughters. But his success might serve as a classic tale of fame and fortune bringing ruin to one's life. In his last years, his character changed. He became an alcoholic, had extra- marital relations, was separated from his wife, was living with a girlfriend, and had run-ins with the law. He died in Monte Sereno, CA, on April 6, 2012. An autopsy fixed the cause of death as "acute intoxication" from alcohol and Valium. In watching this film, I set aside what I knew about Kinkade, his life and his art. I don't know how close this film is to real events, but the opening credits say that the movie is inspired by true events. It takes place over one Christmas holiday season when Kinkade would have been 19 or 20 years old. Everything else aside, this film is a good story that stands on its own. Its Christmas setting makes it a good film for this genre. Indeed, the location around Placerville in California's gold country is ideal. I've been to Placerville, Plymouth, Sutter Creek, Ione, and Jackson. The seasonal climate in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains evokes a holiday atmosphere.Others have described the plot, which is very good and original for a Christmas story. The screenplay, direction and camera work all are very good. The acting is excellent for the most part. Jared Padalecki is very good as Thomas "Thom" Kinkade. Marcia Gay Harden is superb in the role of his mother, Maryanne. Aaron Ashmore does very well as Thom's brother, Pat. The one role that seemed overly played, maybe even hammy, was that of Thom's father, Bill. Richard Burgi played the part. Kinkade's father may have had such a hammy personality, but it comes across in the movie as far too exaggerated. A real plus for the film was getting Peter O'Toole to play Glen. This was a sizable part in the movie as Glen Wesman. It's based on Glenn Anthony Wessels who was an established painter, muralist, instructor and mentor of Kinkade. He lived out his remaining years in Placerville, dying at the age of 87 in 1982. Whether or not the real Glenn said some of the things that O'Toole does here, some lines are real gems. In one scene, Glen says, "Don't reduce art to something that's about the artist. Art isn't about the artists. It's about life. Life … beauty … love … emotion. Art should bring emotion that can topple tyranny." Tom, "I had forgotten, Glen." Glen, "Art crosses all borders, surpasses all languages." Later, he says, "An image can change lives. You can introduce men to their souls." And, he admonishes Thom later, "Give your very best always."I noted a couple of reviewers who thought O'Toole's performance wasn't very good. Because someone may not like a character, or how that character is portrayed, doesn't mean always that the actor didn't perform the role well. I think that must be the case with O'Toole in this role. Peter O'Toole surely didn't need the money – whatever amount he was paid for his role here. Nor did he need to keep acting. No, O'Toole took this part because he wanted it. He said so in an interview that came with the DVD of this film. On that basis, I would trust this great actor to give a performance that he thought befitting of the role, the character, and the time and place. I saw him as thoughtful, philosophic and funny. He was a man dealing with his diminishing abilities brought on by age with a sense of humor and perhaps reluctant acceptance of the inevitable. But never did his spirit wane or falter. This is an interesting and entertaining film for the holidays. It's one the whole family should enjoy over Christmas. Older children from broken families may find a message of hope and peace for their lives, families and futures.

The movie feels like an old black and white movie due to the slow pacing and the nature of the dialogue, which is perfect for the atmosphere of the movie. This movie is incredibly tragic and depressing, but heartbreakingly realistic. It's so grim that it's hard to watch at times on account of the overwhelming gloom. Yet the saddest scenes are the most poignant ones. If you've seen Jared Padalecki as Sam in Supernatural or as Dean in Gilmore Girls, you know that he is a master at portraying youthful innocence in a grounded, relatable way. Sam and Dean were never quite as optimistic and idealistic as Thomas Kinkade is in this movie, so it's a marvel to see Jared add such depth and uniqueness to Thomas without making him anything remotely like Sam or Dean.

We watched this movie in on TV and thought it was a good family film. Many of the reviews shown here were written by people who wrote the criticisms of the movie before seeing it. Many wrote awful reviews before the movie even came out. Doesn't seem too smart. It seems a lot of reviewers didn't like the movie because it was just too "nice." (No sex, violence or cussing) Again, I have to wonder about these reviewers intelligence when they know it is a movie about Christmas. What did they expect? Sure, it may have been a little corny in places but that's OK, it's designed as light entertainment, not a major Hollywood production. If it had been written to win awards in Hollywood then it would have had the sex, violence and lots of cussing. Kind of nice this movie didn't.

Like some other reviewers here, I was lured into watching this by Peter O'Toole's participation. But the name in the title - Thomas Kinkade - and the channel I saw it on - Hallmark - say it all. It's pure schlock - trite, hackneyed, predictable, blatantly sentimental, ponderously slow, heavy-handed, and manipulative. If you like Kinkade's paintings, you'll probably love this show. If, like me, you consider Kinkade's paintings trash, you should avoid this program.I watched the first twenty minutes, and was astounded how bad it was - the mournful voice-over narration telegraphed sadness ahead, the characters and dialogue were clichéd, the story was so blatantly obvious I knew how it would end at once. The script was dreadful, the acting wooden. I fast forwarded, stopping to watch short segments, and it got worse. I watched the ending, just to assure myself I hadn't underestimated the show - alas, it was even worse than I expected, an ending so sappy and morose it was pathetic. O'Toole's performance is really no worse than anyone else's, but I expect a lot of him, so it was really embarrassing to watch him humiliate himself and let his fans down this way.Don't get me wrong - I like a bit of cheap sentimentality now and then, especially this time of year. I enjoy a good tear-jerker, if it's well done. I like A Miracle on 34th Street, and It's a Wonderful Life, and White Christmas, and A Christmas Carol, and especially Bad Santa. I just like it done with a little skill, not cranked out like cotton candy.BTW, one of my favorite Christmas tear-jerkers is The Christmas Tree (1969), with William Holden and Virna Lisi. They used to run it on TV every Christmas, but I guess it's too old now. If you can find it, and like a good cry, give it a try. I still get teary-eyed when I hear the guitar theme - "Romance" by Narciso Yepes, composed originally for the film "Jeux Interdits."