I have to admit that it’s not been easy to find good family Christmas movies that really focus on the spirit of the season, without Santa Claus and presents and all of that. We have added a new Christmas movie to our family collection this year, and it’s a good one! Christmas Lodge!

About Christmas Lodge

Thomas Kinkade presents Christmas Lodge: a place where a heart-warming past and loving future meet for one remarkable group of people. During a weekend trip to the mountains, Mary (Erin Karpluk) finds herself at the now-dilapidated lodge where she spent the holidays with her family growing up. She becomes determined to restore the building to its former glory. Inspired by her grandfather and guided by her grandmother in heaven, Mary throws herself into the project, and during the process finds herself drawn to Jack (Michael Shanks), a handsome man who loves the lodge as much as she does. Historically unlucky in love, this chance encounter allows Mary to renew her faith in life and discover her one true love. For an uplifting story about the importance of faith, family and the true holiday spirit, go to the Christmas Lodge.

Check out the trailer for Christmas Lodge.

My Review

We watched Christmas Lodge while my sweetie’s parents were here visiting from the States. It was our family movie night after having American Thanksgiving together. I was hoping it was a good choice. And it certainly was!

Firstly, I was really impressed with how family friendly the movie was. The main character, Mary, and her boyfriend go away for a weekend to the mountains, and they clearly have separate rooms. As a romance unfolds, the couple is very respectful of each other, and take time to just enjoy each other’s company without officially ‘dating’. There is only 1 kiss in the movie (not counting a few the daughter gives her dad and grandpa) and it’s a simple, sweet kiss in front of happy onlooking friends and family.  Overall, the movie has a very comfortable feel – simple, sweet, not trying to over do things.  The family in the story all seem to have good relationships, while not being perfect. There is laughter and tears and a really good message.

I asked a couple of family members what they thought of Christmas Lodge.

My youngest son, MrCutie:

I think it was a fun movie. It had a couple of meanings about what you need to do to restore something that has been in your family for generations – Keep trying and don’t give up. If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. Never turn your back on your family. Never give up hope.

My oldest son, (middle kiddo) BudBud:

The moral to the story is “Don’t pretend; be who you are.” If something has been in your family for years and you’ve taken a lot from it, and if you get a chance, give something back. You can put more meaning into life than you think, even through a simple action of rebuilding something. You can put hope into someone’s life by building into their legacy. It was a great movie – very fun.

My mom-in-love, Gram:

I think it was a heart-warming uplifting encouraging testimony of getting through the hard times of life. We’ve all lost a Grandpa, but it was such a positive spin. It shows what family could and should be. I loved it. We need more of those kinds of movies.

Those comments pretty much say it all. I really really like this movie. It’s definitely a permanent addition to our Christmas movie collection. It’s funny, though – it’s not JUST about Christmas. It’s more about family, and it’s a movie that can be watched anytime at all! Our family highly recommends Christmas Lodge as a good family movie for the holidays!

WIN IT! *Giveaway now closed*

Giveaway: One lucky It’s OK to be WEIRD! reader will win their own DVD copy of Christmas Lodge!

To Enter: Mandatory – Leave a comment telling me who you’d watch this movie with, or who you’ll give it to if you win (1 entry).

Bonus Entries:

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Leave a comment on this post for EACH entry (1 entry per comment).  Be sure to leave your e-mail address so that I can contact you if you win!

SHORT GIVEAWAY TIMEFRAME: Giveaway closes Wednesday, December 7th at 9:00pm MST so you can get this DVD by Christmas!! Open to USA & Canada.  The winner will be selected by random.org and notified by email, and will have 48 hours to reply back before a new winner is selected. Good Luck!

Note to contest entrants: if you subscribe via EMAIL, in order to be considered for the giveaway, you MUST verify your email when the confirmation message arrives in your mailbox.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”