Movie Review - Signed Sealed Delivered: For Christmas

Signed Sealed Delivered

For Christmas

2014

Moon Water Productions / Muse Entertainment Enterprises : The Hallmark Channel / Muse Distribution International

8.25 / 10

This is the first of the TV movies about The Postables; Oliver O'Toole (Eric Mabius), Shane McInerney (Kristin Booth), Rita Haywith (Crystal Lowe), and Norman Dorman (Geoff Gustafson) - and what better way to kick them off than with the Christmas Special... and what a Christmas Special.

Jordan Marley, played by Rob Estes, turns up at the Post Office and introduces himself to the team and hands them a lost letter which needs their utmost attention.  At Christmastime, more than any other, the deadline to find the recipient of the letter is more important.  Which becomes even more so when the recipient isn't Father Christmas... but God!

This Christmas the team have to pull off a Christmas Miracle when they come across the sender and find the reason for the letter.

Oliver is revisited by an old memory of a bleak Christmas Past and the samaritan who helped him through the hard times.  We learn of Shane's reluctance to celebrate Christmastime as a religious occasion.

How will the team bring light to the darkness threatening the season?

The writers of the special, Brandi Harkonen, Kerry Lenhart, and John J Sakmor along with the creator Martha Williamson, who wrote the teleplay do a wonderful job of keeping the characters and their backstories going, adding to the family feeling of the cast.

As always, they keep the heartwarming and joyful atmosphere simmering throughout the movie, even though they are dealing with some austere subject matters, including death, loss, and loneliness.

The actors are on the mark with their characters and appear to have no difficulties in bringing them to life in a longer format.  If anything, the longer format suits this program much better.  Forty-five minutes was good but with double the time, you get more detail in the storytelling and time to build characters.  There's even a nice cameo from Marion Ross (Mrs Cunningham from Happy Days) as Oliver's old school teacher... what could be better(?)

If you like Christmas movies then this is one that should be on your list to watch; it's made mine.  If you want a movie with a heart that will make you feel good then this is worth a watch.  Merry Christmas To All...