The Christmas Box

The Christmas Box

July 1, 2014

           The Christmas Box is a mixture of suspense and an allegorical tale. The movie blends two families together that becomes an eye opening journey for both. The Christmas Box is a television adaptation of the bestselling novel by Richard Paul Evans. The book is based on true life events. Evans never intended on publishing a book, he originally wrote it for his family just to read. Both the book and movie centers around a man (Richard Evans) that is a workaholic, who thinks his work is important for his family’s survival, but also for his family to have a life of ease.  The Evans family moves into Mary Ann Parkins house. Mary Parkins lawyer suggested that she take in a family to help her not only around the house, but to be there for her just in case something happens. Mary Parkins reluctantly took his advice and after interviewing Richard and his wife, Keri, she lets them stay on with her and employs them. Richards runs his ski company and seems to never have enough time for his wife and daughter. Mary sees to it that he does his job around the house and always has questions for him that puzzles him, such as “What is the first gift of Christmas?” Keri pleases Mary by doing her job well and therefore their relationship of employer and employee becomes more of a friendship. Mary has a hard time adjusting to the Evan’s daughter, Jenna, a four year old. But warms up to Jenna, after Jenna gives Mary a homemade book to say she is sorry for breaking her vase. Mary becomes like a grandmother to Jenna. Mary is a sick woman who only wants to see Richard learn the truth about the true nature of love and family. On her deathbed Richard comes to Mary and says he knows what the first gift of Christmas was and has an epiphany and is forever changed.

            The novel is an example of a self help touchy feely non-realistic story, while the movie is grounded in some truth of how people and families really are. Mary, in the book, welcomes the family without any kind of hesitation and without really knowing who they are. Also in the book, Mary wants the family to be there, to have them become like a surrogate family that she lost too soon and wants to relive the happy family life again. In the movie, Mary is not only hesitant; she is also a bit more standoffish and is short with the family. Richard, in the book, is patient and accepts Mary’s loving ways and has no problems of her becoming a part of his family. Richard is a workaholic; the movie is more in tuned to the way a workaholic would act. He loves his family, but doesn’t have time for chores around the house and becomes flippant towards Mary and what he feels is her weird ways. Workaholics often forget their loved ones and friends. They only see the work that is ahead and they forget to live and love and see what is truly important. Mary in the movie points out to Richard that family and love is the most important things, not work. This concept was not fully developed in the book.

            The suspense and the allegory in the movie appear in the form of the dream sequence involving a beckoning angel. Richard has recurring dreams of an angel repeating his name and a haunting musical tune that shows an angel beckoning him. These dreams cause Richard to question his sanity but also worry him to the point to where he goes and investigate where he thinks the music is coming from. Richard hears the music from his dream in the attic. Upon entering the attic the music beckons him, like the angel does in the dream, to a Christmas box filled with love letters.  The audience does not know who wrote the letters or who it is meant for.  The letters, the dream, and the angel all tie together with Mary’s questions toward Richard, which brings us to the end of the movie and gives the audience a better understanding of  the mystery. Richard’s enlightenment came with the suffering Mary endured in her life and the wisdom that she passed onto him. Sometimes it takes the death of a loved one to make someone realize the importance of friendship and family. The movie version of The Christmas Box illustrates this point that work is not better than the love and comfort of family without it being overly sentimental like the book does.