The Gift of Love: A Christmas Story
tv movie

The Gift of Love: A Christmas Story

Director: Delbert Mann

Year: 1983

Plot: After experiencing several stressful situations within a short time - including the failure of the family business and the loss of her mother - Janet Broderick (Lee Remick) becomes ill. Falling into a deep sleep, she dreams of returning to her hometown, taking her children with her to meet her deceased loved ones. Perhaps, during a Christmas reunion with her beloved family, she will find the answer to coping with her troubles.—afsnowbird
Original Title: The Gift of Love: A Christmas Story
Director: Delbert Mann
Writer: Bess Streeter Aldrich , Earl Hamner Jr.
Producer: Dick Atkins , Earl Hamner Jr. , J. Boyce Harman Jr. , Kenneth Kaufman , Michael Lepiner
Type: tv movie
Year: 1983
Genres: Drama
Cast: James Dodds , Jim Dodds , Zachary Jaydon , Lee Remick , Angela Lansbury , Polly Holliday , Joe Warren , Mart Hulswit , Michael Pearlman , Samantha Atkins , Michael Higgins , Patricia Berns , Alexander Harrington , Michael Pastryk , Janet Peterson , Alex Saltzman , Denise Whittier
Runtimes: 96
Countries: United States
Languages: English
Color Info: Color
Aspect Ratio: 1.33 : 1
Sound Mix: Mono
Original Air Date: 20 Dec 1983 (USA)
Rating: 6.7
Votes: 356
Year: 1983
Akas: Amables recuerdos (Spain) , El regal de l'amor (Spain, Catalan title) , Regalo de amor (Spain) , Uma História de Natal (Portugal) , Dar miłości: świąteczna opowieść (Poland)
Production Companies: Amanda Productions , Telecom Entertainment Inc.
Distributors: CBS , AFilms , BayView Entertainment
Synopsis: Janet Broderick (Lee Remick) narrates: This is a fable. Fables are those things which in our hearts we know to be true." She lives in small town Elyria Ohio, works as store window decorator for Broderick's department store owned by her husband. The Salvation Army isn't receiving any donations in front of the store and moves on to the mall. Her husband Neil is laying off employees because of financial difficulties, including Santa just days before Christmas. Janet believes an ad welcoming customers to "an old fashioned Christmas" will turn their fortunes around. Neil believes their old fashioned ways are responsible for making the store unprofitable.13 year old Dorothy Broderick (Samantha Atkins) Janet and Neil's daughter is fighting at school, protecting her brother Michael (Michael Pearlman) who revels in being a "gifted child" who called Dustin a dummy. Dustin then reacted to Michael. Dorothy beat up Dustin to protect her brother.Neil Broderick (Mart Hulswit) is planning to close his 3 generation family store, but is unable to find a way to tell his wife.Amanda Fenwick (Angela Lansbury) Janet's mother is baking for Christmas. Amanda fake boxes with Michael to teach him fighting skills to protect himself, and experiences chest pains. The children help Grandma upstairs to bed.At the store, Janet finds Neil's secretary packing up his office. Neil tells Janet he is closing the store. Janet "this store is us, it is our life." Neil "I tried to tell you, I didn't want to hurt you." Janet walks home alone as behind her Broderick's store lights go out. As she arrives home, the children inform her of their grandmother's chest pain while teaching Michael to box. The doctor is leaving after giving Amanda a sedative. Janet talks with her mother who admits she is mortal but wants to finish making Christmas pudding. "I was dreaming of the secret place. We used to go to it your father and I. He is there right now waiting. I baked a goose that Christmas." Dustin's mother calls about Dorothy beating up Dustin.Neil is making coffee the next morning. Janet asks if anything will be left after everything is all over. Neil "I hope we can keep the house." Janet "everything is changed including us. We've lost touch with each other. We cannot even talk without it becoming an argument. I don't understand what happened to us." Dorothy interrupts "I think you better come now. Gramma will not wake up." At the cemetery Janet does not know how to go on. She felt her mother had a secret she never told Janet, which made her life rich. "I need you mother, I need you." Neil takes Janet home and puts her to bed, with the family doctor in attendance "Nothing medical; she seems in a deep depression."Janet begins dreaming, calling out to her mother. "I need you mother, I'm lost. I want to go home." Her mother appears in the dream to take her home. "You need to be home. Come" Grandma Amanda takes Janet and the children outside where Grandpa Spencer Fenwick (Joseph Warren) is waiting with a horse drawn sleigh. Amanda calls him "my Old Citizen."Neil looks in on Amanda who remains abed in deep sleep. Sleigh bells ring as Grandpa takes Janet, Grandma, Dorothy and Michael "home" along snow covered paths through the forest to a classic Vermont village with a white steepled church, a town square, central gazebo, Christmas lights, to their family home. Michael wants to see the animals. Janet sighs with pleasure. Amanda "sometimes home is the best remedy." Maiden Aunt Min (Polly Holliday) greets the family. It is 3 days until Christmas and preparations are frantic. Amanda is painting a china plate, a picture of the old mill pond. Janet recalls the mill pond as where she first met Neil when they were very young.Young Neil is driving by the mill pond, stops to ask directions to Mt Snow from Janet who is on her way to NYC to become an artist. Neil asks to marry Janet even though they are strangers. Janet counters "In Vermont we don't talk to strangers." Neil drives away. Janet is with dad, mom and Aunt Min saying goodbye at the train station. The farewell gift is a new pallet and paints. Unexpectedly Neil shows up at the train station "I'm Neil Brokerick from Elyria Ohio. My hobbies are fishing, gardening. Five miles up the road I knew you were the girl for me. My family owns a department store. After this vacation I'm supposed to take over the store. There is a nice studio above the store." Neil asks Janet to marry him.In her dream as an adult, Janet asks her father to go on a Christmas tree hunt with the children. As they collect a stick with red flag from the barn, Michael wants to know the names of the geese. Brunhilda will be Christmas dinner. Michael says he can't eat anything that was alive. Janet asks "there is something I need here dad. Where is the secret place? Why don't you just show me?" Grandpa Spence "doesn't mean anything unless you find it yourself. Home isn't a bad place to look back over your life, see what went wrong, what went right. Home helps you find focus." They find the perfect Christmas tree, then pound a stake with red ribbon at the site of the cut stump, so that next spring they can plant a replacement. The cut tree is stored in the barn.Michael "this goose is going to die. We must do something about this goose." Dorothy "you have to do something, I am not fighting your battles for you any more." Michael tells Brunhilde "nobody is cooking you for Christmas dinner, not while I'm here."The children are stringing popcorn to decorate the tree. Michael swears when he is grown up and married, he will have only store bought decorations. Dorothy swears she will never marry and instead will become an old maid, then sees she has hurt maiden Aunt Min's feelings. Grandma says marriage works for some like her and her Old Citizen. This causes Janet to reminisce about her doubts on her wedding day and her father's advice about marriage's "hope wisdom and strength. He's a good man. I wouldn't give you away if I had any doubts."Janet asks her mother to make their traditional burnt orange cake for Christmas. Amanda needs cinnamon, oranges, chestnuts from Mr Prince's general store and asks the children to go fetch them for her. Aunt Min offers to go along with the children. On the way Dorothy asks Aunt Min what she wants for Christmas? Aunt Minerva replies "a rose." Hannibal and Abigail Prince are attending their store. Russell is the Prince's grandson spending Christmas with them. Abigail is harsh toward Aunt Minerva. Abigail is harsh toward Mr Prince. Russell asks Dorothy to ice skate, she declines. Meaningful looks are exchanged between Hannibal Prince and Aunt Min.Minerva has her Christmas gift. The children note "Mrs Prince isn't very nice to Mr Prince" Aunt Min "She never did appreciate what she got." Amanda says "Christmas Ghost is late this year. Each Christmas he comes leaves a gift, then disappears until next Christmas." When the children ask who the gift is for. Aunt Min says "me." The family decorates the tree with old family ornaments. Amanda looks pensive and gives the last popcorn string to Michael. Spence follows Amanda to the other room "What is it honey?" "I'm happy" "Why the tears?" "being home again, being all together, and you here." Amanda is afraid of things not being the same any more, and being alone, without Spence. Janet notices her mother crying. Amanda and Spence go out for a walk in the snow together.Dorothy watches out the window as Raymond and Chance Mayfield a cute new boy in town are throwing snowballs. Janet snaps at Dorothy. Aunt Min "you don't appreciate what you've got. You married a fine man and you have two fine children who love you. It's about time you took notice." Dorothy takes Michael outside and throws a snowball at Raymond who tackles Dorothy. Chance calls Raymond off. Chance invites Dorothy to Melody's party. Raymond says it is a costume party, which is untrue.Janet watches her mother china painting. Janet feels she failed Neil never giving up her ideas about art. Amanda disagrees "you gave Neil your talent in an important way." The time rolls back to the young Neil as new owner of the department store. Janet applies for a job at the department store while carrying baby Dorothy. She wants to improve the art work and copy of the store ads. She wants to set up her studio in the top floor of the department store. "I want to work, be here with you. All Dorothy needs is a lot of love and change of diapers."At the farm house Dorothy has sold her mistletoe to Russell the Prince's grandson. Michael "how come you and dad don't kiss any more mom?" Janet "sometimes people grow apart, they have trouble showing each other how they feel." Michael hands her a bunch of mistletoe "I saved this for you." Janet walks out into the snow alone.Dorothy and Michael rummage through the attic for costumes for Melody's party. Dorothy will go as a clown. Michael as an old lady, he recalls Fourth of July firecrackers and wishes he could celebrate Christmas in the same way. Michael has hidden away a package of 5 inch firecrackers in the barn. He wants to set them off to celebrate for Christmas eve.Janet and Amanda are decorating the mantel. Janet asks her mother "can love just die? Can two people just stop loving each other?" Amanda reassures her daughter "all couples go through that. It's not terminal."A young Janet is in her bedroom, a storm is raging outside. Neil walks in late home from work. Janet "I almost wish you had taken a mistress. How do I fight work?" Neil "you work as hard as I do" "It's 12:30AM!" they argue. Neil offers to listen. Janet "we've lost something." Neil "what is wrong between us?" They recall the romance. Janet "it all went away, why?" Neil "I don't know, I really don't know."Amanda "I have seen love survive where there didn't seem to be any chance of either side responding. A lot closer to home than you might think. Something about the power of love to endure, when you take the time to look for it." Janet "maybe Neil and I didn't take enough time for ourselves?" Amanda "your father and I did, and found our secret place." Janet "how do I find it?" Janet picks up a ceramic star Amanda has painted, the crowning touch for the tree.Dorothy and Michael are dressed as a Charlie Chaplin clown and an old lady. They ring to doorbell to the party and are greeted with laughter by the other children who are dressed in Christmas finery. Dorothy and Michael run home in humiliation. Dorothy sits on her bed hoping she will die. Sleigh bells are heard. Michael "Santa Claus. Intellectually I know its impossible, but emotionally . . ." Michael goes to the attic window. There is a sleigh and horse in the snow. Dorothy "the Christmas Ghost." They creep down the stairs. Aunt Min "come in out of the cold" Mr Prince follows her to the living room. The children sneak a peek at the scene. Mr Prince gives Aunt Min a single rose. Aunt Min put up dandelion wine just for tonight. They chat "I still love you Minerva" "to my Christmas Ghost." They catch each other up on the news. "Russell's parents are divorcing, neither wants to have him, so he is with us." Minerva "People put up with me, I'm a sharp tongued all woman. The minute I say the words I wish I could call them home again" Mr Prince recently visited a hill where they flew a kite together as youngsters "we couldn't have been more than 20. I remember your arms around me and the feeling that the two of us were up there soaring with the wind." They share one hug, that was the bargain they made, only once a year, a very brief reconnection.Hannibal Prince leaves. The children hide having witnessed the entire conversation. Aunt Min clasps the rose to her chest and rocks by the decorated tree. Janet discovers the children. They tell her they saw the Christmas Ghost with Aunt Min. Minerva "I didn't see any man, just a ghost that comes at Christmas." Aunt Min retells the story of their youthful affection. Her mother and father didn't like him, when he asked for her hand, they stood in the way. Aunt Min and Hannibal ran away, were caught, Aunt Min was brought back then sent to Portland for two years to live with relatives. While Minerva was gone, Hannibal married Abigail Huddlestone. One year on Christmas Eve a single rose was left on Minerva's windowsill. After a few years he would come in for a few minutes, and that gave Minerva something to look forward until Christmas came again. Dorothy "didn't you have another sweetheart?" Aunt Min "for some there is only one." Michael "I love you Aunt Min." The children and Janet hug Aunt Min.Christmas morning Aunt Min is going shopping at Mr Prince's store for presents. Dorothy is heartbroken. Amanda affirms that one day Dorothy will discover her heart is as strong and sturdy as it ever was. Michael is bored and nags Dorothy to do something. Dorothy feels she may not live through the day. Michael kicks Dorothy who complains to Janet "stop you two go outside and play" Dorothy "I never do anything right do I?"Janet admits to her mother that the children are where she feels she failed the most. Dorothy is a tomboy. The children bicker. Amanda reminds Janet that as an only child she has to imagine a brother and maybe she would understand their relationship better. Janet worries Dorothy always fights Michael's battles for him coming home with black eyes. Amanda "have you forgotten Pauline Gates?" who stuck chewing gum in Janet's hair. It was a landmark and Janet graduated from fighting to name calling. Janet asks how she managed that. Amanda said the two of them had a little talk, Amanda trying to remember what it felt like to be a 13 year old.Dorothy is sitting alone on the front stoop in the snow. Janet comes out and invites Dorothy for a walk. "When I was 13 I fell out of that tree and broke my arm. I was showing off for Freddie Thistlewaite who didn't know or care that I broke my arm for him." Dorothy says some boys are like that. Janet counters "not all are like that." Dorothy "dad isn't like that. You were sure lucky to find him." Just then they encounter two girls from the party who are laughing at Dorothy. "I'm not a lady. I'm 13 and I'm really mad." Janet asks what she has in mind. Revenge. Janet "like this?" as she scoops up a snowball. Dorothy "sluts, trollops, loose women!" snowball fight ensues. Janet "dirtballs, low riders, scuzz bunnies" Dorothy is appalled "mother where did you learn such language?" Janet "I was 13 once too, you know." Dorothy "I feel being 13 is a fatal disease, will I ever get through it?" Janet advises to just live it "I'm not very good at showing it, but I do know what it's like. And I love you." Dorothy hugs her mom.Before Christmas eve dinner Spence places Amanda's china star on the tree. Amanda says she wants Brunhilde killed tonight, ready to be stuffed tomorrow morning. Amanda is looking forward to Christmas Eve service at church this evening. Dorothy says she and Michael aren't going, they have a special way to celebrate Christmas eve "It's a surprise you'll get a big bang out of it." Michael looks distraught, he is wearing a three cornered colonial hat, listening to the plans to kill Brunhilde. He asks to skip dinner as he doesn't feel well. Michael sneaks out to the barn to rescue Brunhilde. He hides her near the mill pond to keep her safe until after Christmas dinner. Brunhilde runs away over the ice, Michael follows then falls through the ice into the pond.After dinner, Grandpa Spence can't find Brunhilde in the barn. Amanda is cleaning the table, Spence comes in to talk with Michael. Janet asks Dorothy where Michael is. No one has seen him. Spence "I suspect he's run off with the Christmas goose." Amanda phones Hannibal to ask him to check the bus stop for Michael. Dorothy "he sure was crazy about that goose." Spence goes out to look for Michael, asking the women to stay home. Amanda looks for a ham for Christmas. She doesn't have the heart to kill another goose for Christmas.Spence follows Brunhilde's squawks to the mill pond, discovers the hole in the ice with the three cornered hat floating atop the water. Janet decides to go out looking. Amanda "I wish I'd realized how much that goose meant to Michael. City bred kids aren't used to facts of life on the farm." Spence returns with the three cornered hat, telling them he saw a hole in the ice. Janet rushes out "I have to find him dad."Aunt Min "what can we do?" Amanda "pray." Spence shows Janet the hole in the ice, and offers to take her home. Janet "not until I find him." Russell finds Dorothy in the barn "sorry Dorothy." Dorothy "He's not dead, I know it, he's not dead." Church service is starting. Dorothy feels they are mealy mouthed hypocrites celebrating at a time like this. Russell "its an offering to God to ask him to help find Michael."Dorothy "Michael is lost and I'm going to send a signal to help him." Russell offers to help Dorothy set up the firecrackers. They light a rocket first "this one's for you Michael, hear it and follow it home." Strains of "Silent Night" from the church are mixed with firecracker booms as Janet frantically searches the woods. The fireworks run out. Dorothy "if he hasn't heard them by now, he isn't going to."Janet stumbles while calling out for Michael and suddenly dissolves into tears, calling for her husband Neil. Christmas Day morning Janet returns to the house. She is despondent "can't find him anywhere." A tableau of her father mother and Aunt Min sitting by the fire is seen, like a painting. They do not look at her "you are dead aren't you? This is a dream." Amanda "yes but we are the authors of our own dreams. We make whatever we want to happen." Janet "I always felt so sad about you Aunt Min. You had a way of standing at the window looking out, waiting for someone." Aunt Min "don't feel sad for me. He comes." Janet "I'm a grown woman, have a family, home of my own." Spence "we are very proud of you." Janet "I'm losing them dad. Somewhere along the line I've lost my marriage." Amanda "then you must find it" Janet "where do I look?" Amanda "first look inside yourself. That is the secret you always wanted us to tell you about. The secret place is inside you, within you."Amanda "sometimes you have to reach deep down inside yourself. You have to find a faith that is greater than you can possibly imagine. That strength is in all of us, if only we have the grit and guts to discover it. It's in each of us." Janet goes back outside and seems to be listening to her intuition as she walks into the woods past the hole in the ice.Janet comes upon a shed. Inside she sees Neil standing by a fire. She runs to him hugging him. Neil "I heard your voice I knew you needed me. We'll find him." Janet "I want to tell you something. I love you. We haven't said that in so long." Neil "I wanted to tell you I loved you, I needed you." Janet "I wanted to call you back as you were leaving the house, to have something to hold onto until we were at home together again at night." Neil "how did we lose that?" Thoughtful marital discussion about forgetting to be grateful for all they have. Neil "we are getting older" Janet "is that so bad?" Neil "no I don't think that is bad at all. I think it's wonderful that we've come this far. I love you." They hug.Neil remembers something Amanda once said: in the presence of love there are miracles. They hear a groan. Janet looks toward the sound, when she looks back Neil is gone. She looks towards the groan and finds Michael under an animal skin. Michael says he fell through the ice but now feels fine. The whole time he was asleep he heard firecrackers. Janet tells him Dorothy was trying to help him find his way home. "Saving Brunhilde was my job" Janet "I am proud of you." Michael "can we go home now?"Janet wakes in her bed at home in Elyria, turns over sees Neil watching over her. She has been asleep a day and night. Neil "you seemed so far away I was afraid I would never see you again." Janet "we are going to build a secret place just for the two of us. We have everything, love, children."Downstairs Dorothy and Michael are trimming the tree. Janet comes down with Neil. Christmas eve and the children have decorated all alone. Neil places Amanda's star on the tree. Carolers come to the front door "deep and dreamless sleep" the family sings along. A sleigh pulled by horses crosses the snowy town square at the end.
Cinematographer: Larry Pizer
Producer: Dick Atkins , Earl Hamner Jr. , J. Boyce Harman Jr. , Kenneth Kaufman , Michael Lepiner
Production Manager: Nan Bernstein Freed , J. Boyce Harman Jr.
Certificates: United States:Not Rated
Composer: Fred Karlin
Editor: Paul Fried
Costume Designer: Peggy Farrell
Assistant Director: Michael Haley
Set Decoration: M. Scott Moore
Costume Department: Helen P. Butler
Production Design: Gary Weist
Seasons: Lynn Kressel