studioAT TV movies like this are everywhere this time of year, and this is a fairly downbeat offering starring Rob Lowe and Kimberly Williams.It makes some good points about the importance of family and the true meaning of Christmas, but it just a bit too downbeat for me.I thought everyone involved gave good performances though.

Amy Adler In a small city, two families are in trouble. One, headed by hard-working lawyer Robert (Rob Lowe) is experiencing problems caused by Robert's long hours. He and his wife are not getting along and his darling daughter is sad that her father can never seem to make it to one of her school choir events. Arguments ensue between the spouses, also caused by Robert wanting his wife to go back to work so he can get a new car and play looser with the family's money. Meanwhile, heading the school choir is music teacher, Maggie (Kimberly Williams-Paisley). She and her husband, a car repair business owner, have been at odds about getting their tween son a dog, which he longs for. So far, no dog arrives. But, very sad news does. Maggie's heart has been affected by a virus; she has been having trouble breathing. This most important organ is damaged beyond help and she is added to a transplant list. Unfortunately, her rare blood type is going to complicate the process. Finally, Robert's mother is getting up in years and she would so like to have more time with her son. It hasn't happened yet. When Maggie's son is told about the seriousness of his mom's illness, his one wish it to buy her the "most beautiful pair of shoes" in the world, which he spies in a store window. The young boy is on his own raising the money, dad won't help. But, a kind neighbor of his grandma's (Dorian Harewood), just might be able to aid the lad. As Christmas approaches, will Robert learn to appreciate the best things in life? Will Maggie make it to the Big Day? This lovely film has many wonderful lessons about the most important matters in life. No, its not new cars, flashy homes, lucrative but time-consuming jobs or the like. Its loving those closest to us and getting loved right back. As such, love is timeless, too, as people we love are lost yet we hold them in our hearts. This film moved me to a waterfall of tears while warming my heart in a big way. The cast, especially Lowe in a tricky, sometimes maddening role, is very, very nice. Also well chosen are the sets, costumes, and meaningful direction. No, its probably not the movie to choose if you need happier fare. But, do make time for it someday, its a shoe-in for a yearly viewing choice.

PudgyPandaMan This is a very heartwarming and tragic tale about a boy who wants to buy his mom some beautiful shoes for Christmas before she dies. The young boy does a fabulous job acting and is quite believable.Rob Lowe does a good job portraying a workaholic attorney who has his priorities all mixed up but learns some important lessons along the while. There are some sweet tender moments, but there are some real tough, real life issues presented here too. I would be careful letting very young children watch this as they may find the death of the mom too upsetting. But I think it would be good for older children to watch. My daughter has a best friend whose mom dies of breast cancer, and I think this would have been good for her to watch with me as a type of life lesson on the things her friend has had to face at such a young age.I highly recommend this movie. And the song that this movie derives from is quite moving as well.

Kmilota66 I couldn't believe how sensational this movie really was. I am a DVD seller on eBay and this has been my best seller on Christmas for the past few years, and since I had an extra copy I decided to pop it open and see what all the fuss was about. It was the most heart-warming Christmas movie I had ever seen in my life.The little boy Nathan (Max Morrow) was so adorable and cute, and seeing him do whatever it takes to get his mother the shoes will just steal your heart.Just one warning. Make sure you have your tissues ready before you sit down to watch this movie. I'm not much in the tears department, and I might cry a couple times a year if that, and this past evening was one of those times.