Common Sense Media Review
By Tracy Moore
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Faith-based tale is well done but has heavy themes.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Christmas Angel
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
When Olivia (Izabela Vidovic) and friend Lucas (Tyler Humphrey) notice that the legend of an abandoned house might be real -- that by breaking a window and stating your wish, it might actually come true, courtesy of a mysterious angel, Elsie (Della Reese) -- they start asking for all sorts of things, including that Olivia's mom Melinda (Teri Polo) might find a suitable husband for remarriage in Nathan (Kevin Sorbo). Along the way, Olivia learns the power of doing good, the risks of meddling, and when it's best to leave things to God.
Is It Any Good?
This movie has some heavy themes of loss and death, which makes it best for older kids, but there's also a lot of heart here. CHRISTMAS ANGEL is a faith-based movie that assumes belief in angels, cites some scripture, and freely consults Christian tenets as a guide for behavior, a foundation that can often make for overly sentimental fare that is more concerned with entertaining than educating.
The movie isn't short on sentiment, but, thanks to a good cast -- namely, the fantastic Della Reese as the angel, as well as an unexpectedly talented child actor in Izabela Vidovic -- Christmas Angel makes for a well-done holiday movie with really strong pro-family, pro-goodwill messages that don't feel particularly intrusive or sermonizing. And it does its work with a diverse, intergenerational cast in a New Orleans setting.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about wishes. What sorts of things do you wish for? Do they ever come true? If so, what happened?
Have you ever tried to do something good for someone and had it go wrong? What happened? What did you do to try to fix things?
No matter your beliefs, the film's idea that doing good deeds for others as a way of building community is a positive one. What good things could you do to help others around you?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : October 23, 2012
- Cast : Della Reese , Izabela Vidovic , Kevin Sorbo , Teri Polo
- Director : Brian Herzlinger
- Inclusion Information : Black Movie Actor(s) , Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Pure Flix Entertainment
- Genre : Family and Kids
- Topics : Faith ( Christianity ) , Friendship , Holidays
- Run time : 98 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : February 4, 2026
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