Silent Night (2002)
I can’t believe I’m going to issue a child warning for a Hallmark Christmas movie! But while watching Silent Night, you’ll find it hard to believe it actually is a Hallmark. It’s violent, loud, and gory, featuring the most graphic bullet wound I’ve ever seen in a movie. Hardly for Christmas, and definitely not for children.
The premise is fantastic, though, which was what drew me to it. During WWII, a German woman and her young son are hiding in a cabin in the woods, and German and American soldiers come upon them. In the spirit of Christmas, she makes them all surrender their guns and celebrate the holiday together. With Linda Hamilton as the strong matriarch, and some very sentimental scenes (the soldiers all pool their snacks and gift from home for Christmas dinner and gift exchanges), it could have been a really wonderful drama. But why all the violence?
Also, the movie starts off in the present time, as the adult grandson of one of the American soldiers meets up with the little German boy (now an elderly man). The meat of the movie is shown through a flashback of the boy’s memory, which is quite sad. Everyone united by Linda is now dead – not much Christmas cheer, is there? Plus, the American soldier who was supposed to have had the greatest impact on the little boy was brash and rude during the entire night; why did the child treasure his memory so much? Linda Hamilton fans might not mind the violence, but anyone in search of a peaceful Hallmark movie should look elsewhere.
Kiddy Warning: Obviously, you have control over your own children. However, due to violence, I wouldn't let my kids watch it.
More Christmas movies here!
The premise is fantastic, though, which was what drew me to it. During WWII, a German woman and her young son are hiding in a cabin in the woods, and German and American soldiers come upon them. In the spirit of Christmas, she makes them all surrender their guns and celebrate the holiday together. With Linda Hamilton as the strong matriarch, and some very sentimental scenes (the soldiers all pool their snacks and gift from home for Christmas dinner and gift exchanges), it could have been a really wonderful drama. But why all the violence?
Also, the movie starts off in the present time, as the adult grandson of one of the American soldiers meets up with the little German boy (now an elderly man). The meat of the movie is shown through a flashback of the boy’s memory, which is quite sad. Everyone united by Linda is now dead – not much Christmas cheer, is there? Plus, the American soldier who was supposed to have had the greatest impact on the little boy was brash and rude during the entire night; why did the child treasure his memory so much? Linda Hamilton fans might not mind the violence, but anyone in search of a peaceful Hallmark movie should look elsewhere.
Kiddy Warning: Obviously, you have control over your own children. However, due to violence, I wouldn't let my kids watch it.
More Christmas movies here!