The Christmas Choir - 16th December 2010

So, a couple of days late due to Christmas commitments, we have our first real Christmas movie night.

Tonight it was an American movie, possibly made for TV judging by some of the heavy cuts every 20 or so minutes, which looked like it was time for a commercial break. So, the budget on the film may not have been high, but the story made up for that. Brilliantly written by; Donald Martin it follows the life of successful, workaholic accountant Peter Brockman, who, due to his inability to see what is going on around him, because he focuses too much on work, manages to break up with his girlfriend, who he was about to marry.

A chance meeting with a homeless guy, who played piano and sang in a bar for tips, sparks a friendship when they discover they share a passion for music. Bob, the homeless pianist, takes Peter to the Nun run shelter where he stays at night. This is where Peter discovers there is more to life than being an accountant. So he decides to help out. As it's coming up to Christmas, he tries to find ways to raise some cash for the guys in the shelter, this is when he hits upon the idea of a choir.

From here the story follows their struggles to get it together, tracing the highs and lows and where Peters' home life matches some of the issues of the guys he is trying to help.

The story from here is fairly formulaic, a typical heart-warming Christmas tale, but it is a good one. There is love, and laughs on the way, but watch out for the tear jerking moments at the end, you'd best have some tissues handy.

OK, so it was a made for TV film, but it is good nonetheless, in fact it picked up the Epiphany Prize for the Most Inspirational Film For Television in the 2009 MovieGuide Awards.

So if you see it on a TV channel near you sometime over the festive period, give it a watch, you won't be sorry. Or pick up a copy from Amazon, as it's only £2.99!.