This is a movie very dear to my heart because I got to spend some time on a location set for it interviewing star Michael Shanks and director George Mendeluk. While I was there I got to watch the actors at work. The following is a critique of the movie and a little bit about my experiences on the set.
Aside from a few sentiments that bothered my slightly feminist nature ...such as the deceased Tom Chandler telling his son Jonathan thatSusan 'needs a man in her life' because she is struggling to cope with paying bills and such... this is a charming and gentle movie.
Both George Mendeluk and Michael Shanks describe Jamie Ray Newman as being very 'present' in her role of Susan Chandler and after seeingthe movie I understand more clearly what they are saying. SusanChandler just fills the screen with chemistry and energy. The only problem I had with Susan Chandler is that she seems a bit too self absorbed. Even with mistakenly thinking that Kevin Harrison has a wife at home, she constantly imposes on him to look after her son while she pursues her 'love life'.
I mean I would think it was very strange for someone's wife to allow him to just go baby-sit my kid on a moment's notice.
After seeing this movie and even with knowing why Michael Shanks chose the role he did in it, part of me kinda wishes we could have seen what he would have done with the role of the ghostly father, Tom Chandler. In my interview with George Mendeluk, he says that Michael Shanks has a wholesome quality about him that makes Kevin Harrison so believable. Boy is this ever true.
You just can't help but want to take this man home with you. He is gentle, caring, intuitive, intelligent and dedicated to helping Jonathan deal with losing his dad. Yet there is an air of sadness about him that tugs at your heart. When he finally reveals the story of how he lost his own wife, you just want to hug Kevin and never let him go. It's easy to see why Michael Shanks was drawn to this role considering how devoted to his own family he is. If you haven't seen the movie yet, keep your eyes open for the bracelet he is wearing which is clearly visible in one particular scene. It is the one thathis oldest daughter made for him and Michael Shanks told me it was part of what he was using to remind him of his own family life and using it to create part of Kevin Harrison's character.Burkely Duffield is really amazing in this movie and George Mendelukis right, he is the one who brings it all together. Under TheMistletoe foregoes the stereotypical 'wisecracking' preteen who is smarter than the adults.
Instead, Jonathan Chandler is filled with achildlike faith and sense of wonder that so often children lose as the head towards their teens. Burkely Duffield makes Jonathan come across as sweet and sincere. In many aspects, Under the Mistletoe is a 'by the numbers' storyline, yet it manages to rise about that and stand out because of theextraordinary cast of characters and the actors playing them, especially Michael Shanks and Burkely Duffield.
Susan is a writer/reporter for City News Magazine and decides to use the radio contest thing as a story for the magazine after her son enters her in the contest. Jonathan is 11 years and there is no comedy ensuing fromthe plot of this movie. The movie is actually straight dramatic with only one small reference to 'going to plan b'.Jonathan Chandler is very worried about his mother and he finds a safe harbor in Kevin Harrison who, instead of treating him dismissively for claiming to be able to speak to his deceased father,opens his mind and heart to the troubled young boy to really listen to him.
The movie treats both Jonathan and Susan's issues of grief over the loss of Tom Chandler with respect, not as comedic fodder.The one thing I did come away with (and I read someone else pointingthis out too in a review) is that movie is really more about Jonathan and Kevin's journey towards bonding as 'father' and 'son', with some help from Tom Chandler more than it was about Susan and Kevin fallingin love.
Susan Chandler in many ways seems almost secondary to this part of the story line as she blithely turns her son's emotional issues and problems over to a man she hardly knows, but immediately trusts to help him. On the totally shallow side, Michael Shanks is absolutely stunning tolook at in this movie. His close ups highlight his eyes and hissmile. The camera angles and blocking for this movie are definitely used to his best advantage, as it is with all the actors involved. This movie was clearly made by someone who wanted it to be focused on the characters, not on the scenery around them.
Watching Michael Shanks work was, I have to say, a really amazing experience. The day was so hot and he was wearing that suit with a jacket.
They had to do the scene over and over several times for different camera angles or because the lighting would suddenlychange on them (drat that sun chosing to go behind a cloud at the wrong moment). Yet Michael Shanks never lost his energy or his enthusiam for the scenes. Not to say he didn't flub up a bit a time or two.
I couldn't stop giggling when he blew the line that began with 'lady' and immediately went into this perfect and I do mean perfect imitationof Jerry Lewis..'laaydeee'(said in high pitched squeaky voice).
Getting to watch he and Jamie Ray Newman rehearse the scene and trying out the dialog with different levels of intensity and voice inflections. Watching them make doing the kind of give and takeduring rehearsals that is what creates chemistry between characters that leap off the screen. Each coaching and critiquing the other all in the process of making each the best they can be on screen.
Standing quietly by in the director's tent as Michael came in towatch the playback of the scene and to ask George Mendeluk the director thoughtful questions about position and lighting because Michael Shanks has a genuine interest in learning everything about the industry he's in and learning it from people whose work head mires and respects.
I feel very privileged to have gotten that opportunity to see an actor, whom I admire, in his working environment and seeing himwithing his creative process first hand.Did I mention the man was glowing with happiness at being in thismovie and getting to play a dad, a hockey coach and play on the ice:)
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