1990’s A Mom for Christmas was directed by George Miller - no, not the Mad Max guy but George T. Miller, who brought us such kiddie fare as The NeverEnding Story 2 and Andre – y’know, the one about the seal. That feels about right, as this one is basically Mannequin meets Mary Poppins with a Christmassy twist. It’s more made-for-TV Disney nonsense but this one really grabbed me for some reason. The jaunty hats, the scrunchies – it’s all just so 1990 and I love it.
11-year-old Jessica (Juliet Sorci) feels sad without her mom who passed away when she was just three. Her dad (Doug Sheehan) is totally devoted to her but flounders when it comes to “girl stuff” – I know the feeling. Jessica needs a mom so, after making a Christmas wish in a department store wishing well with help of Doris Roberts’s magical shop assistant, one of the store’s mannequins comes to life and shows up at her door, ready to be her new mommy. Brilliantly, mystic mom Amy is played by Olivia Newton John, giving this newly born guardian angel figure the perfect level of wide-eyed wonder and cute naivete.
Amy sweeps into Jessica and lonely dad Jim’s lives and turns things around, taking a job as a nanny/housekeeper. Jessica finally gets a mother figure to chat about boys and clothes and things while Dad gets a foxy new love interest for Christmas. Result.
There’s some other stuff about how all the other shop mannequins come to life for two hours every night, including one that’s a chauffeur with a fancy car, which proves handy for Jessica and Amy’s adventures. Another dummy is Santa, just to remind us that we are watching a Christmas film.
Perhaps smartly realising that the mum/daughter and Dad/Amy romance angles are a bit mushy for a kid’s film, the writers have the girls go on some fun adventures, taking Santa on a trip to see Jessica’s school play, because why not?
It’s a film that’s not afraid to be a little messed up and weird – I’m freaked out when the Santa mannequin gets hit by a car and all his limbs fall off, causing Jessica to break down and bawl her eyes out. I wasn’t expecting that – it’s distressing stuff. Luckily, magical Amy brings some neighbourhood ‘elf’ garden gnomes to life and they pull Santa back together again. Phew!
Sorci is very believable as a sad child just trying to live a normal life following a tragedy and she makes me want to give her a hug. I’m also impressed by how good Newton John is here. She’s so innately perky and loveable and also sings a handful of saccharine ballads, just to complete the spell. Roberts, too, is suitably endearing as the person who makes all this possible and who makes many stands against littering, which is an important lesson, I feel.
This is another film that I never imagined I’d enjoy but I wholeheartedly recommend it. Despite a few too many lame gags (chicken noodles for breakfast? That’s crazy!) captivating performances save the day.
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