FAREWELL, MR. KRINGLE
A widowed writer for a magazine travels to the town of Mistletoe to meet a Santa Claus impersonator.
Fifty years ago in a town called Summerville, a young man's bride died in a car accident on Christmas Eve. Ever since, the lonely man has immersed himself in the spirit of Christmas to keep a part of his late wife with him all year round, taking on the role of Santa Claus for the people of Summerville, even changing his name to Kris Kringle.
The people of his hometown love and appreciate Mr. Kringle (Mark W. Sheppard, who makes a fine Santa Claus, but I'll always remember him as the Elvira's evil sorcerer uncle in Elvira, Mistress Of The Dark) so much that they changed the name of their town from Summerville to Mistletoe, rebranding all of their streets and local businesses to fit this Christmas theme. Kris Kringle loves Mistletoe, and Mistletoe loves Kris Kringle.
Enter Annabelle Wall (Christine Taylor, AKA the new Marcia Brady AKA Ben Stiller's blushing bride), widowed writer for a nationally distributed family magazine. She's given the assignment to profile the town of Mistletoe and its resident Mr. Kringle, an assignment she doesn't relish. Anna's husband loved Christmas very much, but after he passed away on Christmas Eve three years ago, she hasn't felt like celebrating.
Traveling to Mistletoe, Anna finds herself in an episode of The Twilight Zone, a place where Christmas isn't just one day on the calendar, but ALL DAYS on the calendar. Everybody is just a little too happy, their smiles slightly strained as they greet one another a hearty hello each morning.
The people of Mistletoe have reinvented their town, their lives, their entire identity all to cater to the whims of a lunatic, a man consumed by grief who has disappeared into the guise of a beloved mythological figure in order to mask the unimaginable pain of losing the love of his life. On one fateful day, this man went crazy and his entire community just decided to indulge his holiday-themed delusion because... because they're nice?
As far as the people of Mistletoe are concerned, their Kris Kringle is the genuine article. He's been playing the role for so long, most of the citizens don't know him as anything else. He's just Santa Claus to them, and they all love him.
And it takes outsider Anna a little while to find the rhythm of life in quaint, inviting little Mistletoe, but with the help of Mr. Kringle and a hot shot divorce lawyer-turned bed & breakfast owner, she begins to see the charms of living in a town where every day is Christmas.
It's a little odd trying to categorize Farewell, Mr. Kringle, because at times it's nothing more than a quirky, family-friendly story about an old man who embodies the spirit of Christmas so completely that his hometown has changed to reflect that joyous nature, and that's just lovely.
But it's also the story about a damaged old man who uses the spirit of Christmas to give him a reason to endure the hardships of life without his beloved bride to stand with him, and how his kindness and generosity have made Mistletoe a richer and more close-knit community, not to mention convincing Annabelle to take another chance on love with Mark Stafford, the aforementioned owner of the bed & breakfast, which is surprisingly thought-provoking.
The movie has something on its mind, unafraid to dwell on sadness and heartbreak at times, because ultimately it illustrates that as long as you're willing to open your heart, it's never too late to find happiness once again. An uplifting and refreshingly realistic message, coming from a movie with such a goofy premise. In fact, the only real negative thing I can point out is the rushed conclusion to the relationship between Anna and Mark. They get married at the end of the movie, before the whole town of Mistletoe, and Kris Kringle gives her away.
That's sweet and everything, but this all happened maybe two days after our protagonists have their first kiss. They've only known each other for maybe two weeks, and they get married on Christmas Eve, the night her late husband died three years prior! This development comes out of nowhere, and it's somewhat off-putting. The couple could have just spent the holidays together to see how compatible they are, but TRUE LOVE!!!! gets in the way and they decide to get married the same day they decide to actually start dating. Now if the movie skipped ahead to show the pair getting married a year later, everything would have been just peachy, and this late development would not have been a problem for me.
As it is, I believe it mars an otherwise perfectly fine and charming story, but not so much that it changes my opinion on everything that came before.
That's sweet and everything, but this all happened maybe two days after our protagonists have their first kiss. They've only known each other for maybe two weeks, and they get married on Christmas Eve, the night her late husband died three years prior! This development comes out of nowhere, and it's somewhat off-putting. The couple could have just spent the holidays together to see how compatible they are, but TRUE LOVE!!!! gets in the way and they decide to get married the same day they decide to actually start dating. Now if the movie skipped ahead to show the pair getting married a year later, everything would have been just peachy, and this late development would not have been a problem for me.
As it is, I believe it mars an otherwise perfectly fine and charming story, but not so much that it changes my opinion on everything that came before.
I really enjoyed Farewell, Mr. Kringle. It's a well executed little slice of Christmas joy that might actually stick with you for a little while.
VERDICT: NICE
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