Christmas Eve

MPAA Rating: PG for some peril, thematic elements and language
Run Time: 95 Minutes
My Rating: 4/5
So today my wife and I saw Unstuck's Christmas Eve starring Patrick Stewart (X-Men Days of Future Past), Jon Heder (Napoleon Dynamite), James Roday (USA's Psych), Gary Cole (USA's Suits), and David Bamber (Valkyrie).  It tells the story of six different groups of New Yorkers who are stuck together inside elevators on Christmas Eve after a city-wide power outage traps them.
So personally, I really liked this movie.  I have to admit that the only reason I even heard about this film was that one of my wife's friends uncle directed it, but I am glad that I watched it.  It may not become an instant holiday classic, but it certainly brings the spirit of Christmas into the audience's life.  There are really two things that makes this movie great: the characters and the message it shares. Though the characters are strange, you can't help but love them.  They all have their unique characteristics and each audience member can definitely relate to at least one of them. This allows the audiences members to put themselves in the shoes of the characters which helps them learn a little bit more about themselves and allows the lessons shared in this film to become more internalized.  Speaking of the lessons shared, this film teaches us that there is a higher being that helps shape all of our lives.  I love how this film is not afraid to bring God into the holiday and not focus on the commercial side of the holiday.  Finally, musician Jenny Oaks Baker provides a spectacular violin solo of Silent Night!!
Though the film has some great aspects to it, probably its biggest flaw is its use of all of its stars. The film has so many great actors and actresses and they all give great performances, but I felt like they all could have been utilized better.  I especially thought this for Patrick Stewart.  For being at the forefront of most of the advertising, he definitely takes a back seat for most of the film and really doesn't have as many memorable moments as the other actors.
Overall, I thought this film was great and definitely one that I would add to my list of films to watch during the holidays.  This is a great family film that will help bring the spirit of Christmas into your holiday season.  With that said, if you have time during your holiday season, definitely make time to watch this film.

Thanks again for reading!!!  If you have any questions, comments, or ideas just let me know!!!