In the last decade or so there has been resurgence in the spiritual side of many people. They are turning in increasing numbers to religion. One of the largest denominations to experience this revival is Christianity particularly the evangelical segment of the region. This has not gone unnoticed with the entertainment industry. While once seen by some very traditional Christians as a source of the corrupting influences of sex and violence there is a growing community of Christians who have taken popular music, television and film and carved out a niche of their own. Some have noted that the earliest forays into these areas were heavy handed and overly preachy. It takes a good deal of time for any new approach to entertainment to solidify and mature. The path has been helped with popular faith based television series like ‘7^th Heaven’, ‘Joan of Arcadia’ and ‘Highway to Heaven’. Each of these was solid pieces of entertainment that portrayed people who relied on their faith to navigate the trials and tribulations of everyday life. They infused faith into the everyday lives of people. Now films along similar lives are breaking away from showings in the basements of churches to local theaters and the DVD market. Helping this along is the independent film world. While faith based films are largely absent from the large studios. The Indy film market is far more flexible and resilient. The can go for the smaller niche market instead of having to pander to the largest possible audience and subsequent box office. One such film is ‘Noelle’. It is a gentle little film that is strong in its presentation of faith and solid in old fashion family values. As the name would indicate it is a Christmas movie and as such relies on many of the standard themes employed each year by a large number of flicks. Usually Christmas movies are either silly, intended just for the kids or are satires that the parents would enjoy. This movie has real appeal for the entire family. It has its corny moments but in a way this is just part of the charm. This film had a modestly successful limited theatrical release just before last Christmas. Now it has been picked up for DVD distribution by Paramount Pictures just in time for the coming holidays. It is done well enough that it should reach a broad audience. When you get tired of just sitting your kids in front of another cartoon about reindeer and animated snowmen sit down with the children and give this film a chance.

As with many Indy films this is the brain child of one man; David Wall, who wrote, directed, produced and stars in it. The writing here is at times overly sentimental but that is par for the course with a Christmas movie. To his credit he does avoid the usual aspects of a Christian movie than many consider as pitfalls. He avoids being too overt with the preaching. He lets the characters and their deep trust and faith speak for itself. This is especially evident during the scenes where the characters find themselves in a heated debate about faith and religion. In short; while the film is based on religious beliefs there is ample opportunity to let a story of merit come through. There has been some controversy surrounding the film. It has been said that it has a decidedly anti-Catholic slant to it. There is a particular scene where an orphanage is described as being run by nuns and derides their ability to be surrogate mothers to the children. Since the conflict between Catholicism and Christendom has been going on for more than a few centuries it is highly unlikely that this film will sway the debate in any significant fashion. Another potential for dividing the audience is the strong pro life sentiment the movie presents. It has to be remembered that this is a film made by people with a strong opinion on this highly debated topic. It is part of being a film maker to put himself into the movie and remain true to his own beliefs. No matter where stand on this issue you should respect the film maker and his right to present his viewpoints.

Wall selected the beautiful Cape Cod area to make his movie. There is a bit of trivia out there that the region is not known for heavy snow which is required for a specific scene. After calling for prayers a record snow fall happened. The area is perfect for this kind of film. The bleakness of the seashore is magnificent when juxtaposed with the rolling seas and clear blue sky. Much of the credit for these shots has to go to the cinematographer, Beecher Cotton. Most Christmas films are situation in nature. There is a Scrooge like person out to put an end to the pervading Christmas sprit and someone, typically accompanied by a child, who turns things around. Wall took a different tack here. He created a character driven story. Since many aspects of the story are less than realistic he depends on the emotional impact that the cast projects to the audience. A movie like this is a balancing act between realistic people and sentiment. Wall does far better than most in pulling it off effectively. You will notice a lot of people named Wall in the cast. This is not only a film for family viewing it was made in a large part by members of the Wall family.

The film opens in the dead of winter in a small village on Cape Cod. At its height it was a thriving fishing and whaling community but in recent years it has suffered the fate of many such places and fallen into hard times. A bus is arriving into town carrying Father Jonathan Keene (David Wall). His usually job for the church is to evaluate parishes that are in danger of being closed by the church. The reasons are typical that the church is no longer profitable. This type of service has had its toll on the priest. He has become hardened to the plight of those who are about to lose their beloved place of worship. He is admittedly not a people person. The film does explore some of the dark past that lead such a man to working for the church. When Keene arrives he finds an old friend as the pastor; Father Simeon Joyce (Sean Patrick Brennan). Joyce is a disillusioned man who finds more solace in a bottle of alcohol than he does with his faith. He is on automatic as he goes through the required manifestations of his calling. Somehow the closing of this particular church begins to get to Keene. Together with Joyce then come up with a plan to help the church survive; a living Nativity scene. Now just how this will put the church back on its feet is explained in general terms and is admittedly non realistic but just go with it. Like most movie versions of coastal New England towns this one is inhabited completely by quirky characters. They also all seem to harbor deep dark secrets of their own. Ultimately it falls upon a little girl, Noelle (Brennan Wall).

Say what you will about a strongly faith based film but this one has heart. It is moving and emotionally without getting overly melodramatic. Paramount is better known for large hits and their catalogue of television series. This just demonstrates that they are dedicated to providing different types of films that are quality productions. This is something that the whole family will enjoy.