Kirk Cameron’s Saving Christmas
By in Entertainment News, Movie Reviews, Movies
As cliché as the phrase has become, it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.
The weather’s turning cold, snow is starting to fall, and Christmas decorations have gone up in houses all over the nation. It’s only a matter of time before the presents are wrapped and the stockings are hung.
But as stores push Christmas shopping earlier and earlier and Santa Claus becomes more the focus of the holidays every year, we sometimes have to wonder if we’ve lost the Reason for the season. Some of us might even feel like scrapping the whole thing.
Kirk Cameron has a better idea.
Kirk Cameron worries about his brother-in-law Christian, played by Darren Doane; Photo Courtesy of Camfam Studios.
In his new movie, Saving Christmas, the beloved actor from Growing Pains, Left Behind, and Fireproof takes us on a journey through Scripture and church history, offering a closer look at our seasonal traditions and the meaning behind them.
You see, his brother-in-law Christian is feeling the holiday blues too. Sure, he’s ruining his wife’s annual Christmas party, but what does it matter when Christmas is already ruined? Nativity scenes are trapped in snow globes, Christmas trees are Druid idols, and Santa has carjacked our holy day. What’s left to celebrate?
If Kirk Cameron wants to save Christmas, he’ll have to make Christian see the season through new eyes.
See the trailer below:
Saving Christmas travels from a modern-day Christmas party to the birth of Christ and from a tree lot to a reimagining of St. Nicholas’s hometown, all without ever losing the feeling of intimacy, as if we’re part of the Cameron family and watching their Christmas play. Through it all is Kirk Cameron’s narration, guiding us through the stories of the season and revealing meaning we’ve never thought of before.
The film suffers sometimes from a lack of focus, particularly in its humor. For example, one scene pokes fun at the “War on Christmas,” exaggerating it to conspiracy proportions. It’s an enjoyable scene, but it’s so far removed from the point of the story that it feels as though it belongs to a different movie.
Christian struggles to see the wonder of Christmas again; Photo Courtesy of Camfam Studios.
Christian Worldview
Still, this drawback can’t take away the film’s joy or its message. Indeed, the message is what you’ll remember most. A Nativity scene can be a reflection of Jesus’ death and resurrection. A Christmas tree can be a reminder of God’s gift of salvation. Even Santa Claus can be a defender of the faith.
Saving Christmas will give you new eyes to see the true meaning behind these Christmas symbols. It will arm you with knowledge to share with your children, enabling you to teach them using the object lessons that fill your house each year. Best of all, it’ll leave you with a hunger to learn more about your favorite traditions and how they point to Christ.
Saving Christmas puts Christ back at the center of the season; Photo Courtesy of Camfam Studios.
At the end of the movie, after all, it is Christ who is the center of Christmas. It’s where he’s always been. And that’s something worth celebrating.
Biblical Discussion
Saving Christmas is a great tool to start a discussion with your family about the true meaning of Christmas. You might want to start with these questions:
- What is your favorite thing you learned about Christmas from this movie? What surprised you the most?
- What other Christmas traditions point to Christ? How do they remind you of Him?
- How can you make Christ the focus of Christmas in your own home?
The whole Bible points to the Christ of Christmas, but since it’s the holiday season, here are some passages specifically related to Jesus’ birth:
- Matthew 1:18-2:23
- Luke 1:5-2:40
- Isaiah 9:1-7
Find out more about the film at the Official Saving Christmas Website.
Don’t miss our interview with Kirk Cameron himself: Christian Apologist Kirk Cameron Talks “Saving Christmas.”
Jonathan King writes speculative fiction for middle grade and young adult readers. Several of his short stories have been published in North Greenville University’s literary magazine,The Mountain Laurel, and one of them received a Certificate of Merit from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association. In addition, his one act play “Cuckoo in the Nest” was written and performed for the John Hewitt International Summer School in Armagh, Northern Ireland. In his free time, Jonathan writes a movie blog called The Nerd King, in which he reviews trailers for upcoming movies and takes a deeper look at older films.
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