The Christmas Wish (2007)

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Movie
German title The Christmas wish
Original title Where God Left His Shoes
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 2007
length 96 minutes
Age rating FSK 12
Rod
Director Salvatore Stabile
script Salvatore Stabile
production Salvatore Stabile,
Michael Caldwell ,
Daniel Edelman ,
Richard Hutton
music Jeff Beal
camera Vanja Černjul
cut Chris Monte
occupation

The Christmas Wish (Original title: Where God Left His Shoes ) is an American Christmas - Drama by Salvatore Stabile from 2007. It was in the US on 27 April 2007 at the Tribeca Film Festival premiere. By IFC Films , the film December 12, 2008 was released in selected cinemas.

action

Frank Diaz, an unemployed boxer, has been living in a homeless shelter with his wife and their two children for months when the news suddenly comes on Christmas Eve that an apartment is available for them. However, since he cannot prove a steady job and no secure income, the realtor explains to him that it will then not be possible to get the apartment. Frank tries to change the real estate agent's mind by telling her how he fought for his country in the Gulf War and that there is now no more work for him, except for occasional odd jobs.

This impresses her a little, so she gives him the chance to show her a steady job until the end of her working day before she gives the apartment to someone else. The possibility of giving his family a nice Christmas after all inspires Frank to look for a job immediately. He's accompanied by his nine-year-old, nagging stepson Justin, because he doesn't like walking around the cold streets of New York at all. The first thing Franz looks for is the building contractor for whom he has already worked several times, but unfortunately he cannot give him a permanent position.

Frank and Justin look across town hoping for a job. They grow closer together and also learn secrets from each other. When Justin injured his hand and foot in a fall, Frank takes care of him, despite his otherwise rough and gruff manner. He uses his knowledge of boxing and his army past. Her further path leads to a department store, where Frank hopes to be needed, but this hope is not fulfilled either. From there they take a newspaper with them, from which Justin reads the job ads, as Frank himself can neither read nor write. So he applies to a school where a painter is wanted. However, the interview reveals a crime in Frank's past as a teenager, so that he cannot be employed at this public school.

Frank's efforts to find a job by 6 p.m. continue to fail. Frank needs a few new things to try again. When he buys them in a not entirely legal way in a department store, he forgets his money in the old pants in the changing room. Since Justin is not entirely innocent of this, they argue and try to get at least some money for food and go begging. The day goes by and Frank has not been able to find a job. He explains to Justin that there is no shame in losing, after all, he would have tried and done his best. When Justin starts to cry, he tries to make it clear to him that he has to show strength because he would be a man, albeit a short man. In the end, every chance to get the apartment is gone and Frank goes to dinner with his family instead. His wife, feeling uncomfortable with her barely running out of money, tries to get Frank to leave so she can sneak out without paying, as she had often done before.

But Frank does not allow that and pays properly, as an upright man does. In front of the bar he suddenly meets a man who stole his jacket some time ago, and in a fit of anger and frustration, he beats the man and gets his jacket back. As a result, Frank's family has to leave the homeless shelter. Since Angela has no other advice, she calls her ex-husband and father of the children so that they have a roof over their heads at least for Christmas. Frank is not happy about this and Justin also refuses to go to his father. He wants to stay with Frank and stands by him so that his mother changes her mind and doesn't go to Luis.

In search of accommodation for the night, they take the train to a new shelter for the homeless. There you are all alone in the wagon and have peace and time to yourself. They are playing a game that they always played before they became homeless. The train goes into the dark night and Frank tells his stepson that he loves him.

background

The Christmas Wish was filmed in New York City and was shown for the first time on April 27, 2007 at the Tribeca Film Festival . The original title of the film Where God Left His Shoes , literally. Where God left his shoes is an old Italian proverb that the father of the director Stabile always used when it came to desolate things.

criticism

Lisa Schwartzbaum from Entertainment Weekly described the film with the words: "Italian neorealism meets A Christmas Carol" (OT: Italian neorealism meets A Christmas Carol.)

Nick Pinkerton of the Village Voice wrote that Stabile "created interesting scenes [...] although the vérité of the film is watered down by a cozy, adult-contemporary empathy with those who are less fortunate." (OT: gets interesting scenes [ ...] though the movie's vérité is diluted by a cozy, adult-contemporary empathy with those less fortunate.)

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ The Christmas wish at Internet Movie Database , accessed on January 15, 2018.
  2. ↑ Interview with Salvatore Stabile at web.archive.org, accessed on January 15, 2018.
  3. ↑ Where God Left His Shoes at ew.com, accessed January 15, 2018.
  4. ↑ Film review at laweekly.com, accessed on January 15, 2018.