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6 Degrees Entertainment

'All I Want Is Christmas'
(David DeLuise, Elliott Gould, Cynthia Geary, Elijah Nelson, et al / DVD / NR / (2011) 2012 / IFC Films)

Overview: Ira J. Finkelstein is obsessed with Christmas. He's seen every Christmas movie ever made and his dreams are filled with reindeer, sleigh rides and SNOW. The problem? Ira's Jewish - and at 11 years old, Christmas is passing him by. When Ira's hopes for a holiday vacation in Aspen are dashed, he hatches a plan to finally get the Christmas of his dreams.

DVD Verdict: OK, look, I know it's too early to be thinking of Christmas, let alone be watching a film about it, but this was actually really heartwarming - and got me thinking about Christmas and what it means to everyone (inclusive of Jewish kids)!

Winner of Best Comedy Feature at the International Family Film Festival (in LA) this 2012, 'All I Want Is Christmas' (which comes ho-ho-home to VOD one November 1st!) tells the story of a Christmas obsessed Jewish boy Ira (Elijah Nelson) on his way to sunny Florida ... after his holiday vacation in Aspen gets, well, stopped in its tracks! Yup, even though it's not part of his culture, he still figures out how to get the Christmas of his dreams by trading airline tickets and places with another 11 year-old boy on his way to snowy Christmastown, WA.

Sure it's not got both feet placed firmly on the snowy ground beneath it's fluffy slippered feet, but does that matter, I ask you? And the short answer is no, as this film is heartwarming and worthy of all the jolly slaps on its back that it is currently receiving.

Ira sure gets way more than he bargained for when he experiences his first White Christmas and along for the ride is one of the silver screens greatest actors - Elliott Gould (Contagion, Oceans 13, Mash) as Sam Finkelstein, Ira's Grandad. With Ira's father Max, played by David DeLuise (Wizards of Waverly Place) popping champagne corks around a tree that Ira had made for Christmas - albeit for completely different cork-popping reasons - when told the Jewish people don't celebrate Christmas it's Ira's response to him that resonates for the entire movie: "Why not?"

And so with Florida - the "opposite of Christmas" - as a long lost destination, Ira swaps identities (in a very cute airport scene) and becomes Mikey for the journey to the snowy lands. But he learns all about the good and the bad of Christmas, as the town (inexplicably, in truth) has teenage bullies that walk around, stomping on Christmas gingerbread men, issuing warnings to all the visitors!

So, sure, he has to go through Hell, if you were, to get to Heaven, but learning his lessons along the way is all part and parcel of this very quaint new take on Christmas. A new Christmas song is born, parents get to see their 'swapped kids' through different eyes come the end, and we all end up with a fuzzy glow to our cheeks - which has nothing to do with the spied egg nog I am curently drinking, I promise! This is a Widescreen Presentation 1.77:1 enhanced for 16x9 TVs.

VOD Providers carrying 'ALL I WANT IS CHRISTMAS':

Amazon, Brighthouse, Charter, Comcast, Cox, Dish, iTunes - CAN & US, Microsoft - CAN & US, Vudu, Verizon Fios, Time Warner, and Youtube.

Amazon Instant Purchase Link

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