Parents' Guide to

Kirk Cameron's Saving Christmas

By Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 8+

Actor encourages grumpy Christians to embrace the season.

Movie PG 2014 80 minutes
Kirk Cameron's Saving Christmas Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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age 4+

Based on 2 parent reviews

TheReformedCritic
TheReformedCritic Adult
November 20, 2022
age 5+

Could do worse, but could do better too

I enjoyed watching Kirk Cameron and there were some scenes that made me chuckle. However, there were several scenes that were just over the top goofy, and while they kept my kids entertained, I was forced to roll my eyes. More importantly though, the message of the movie seemed a bit like the “hip & groovy” pastor who decides to exegete Jurassic Park for the Sunday sermon. Bro, just stop. You are straight making stuff up to give Christian meaning to things that have no Christian meaning.
criseaver
criseaver Adult
December 7, 2014
age 2+

Not really movie worthy

I gathered 25 youngsters (of my sons' friends) and we went to see this together. We left very confused. And dissappointed that we'd spent so much money on seeing this "movie." We love the shows like "When the Game Stands Tall," "Facing the Giants," "Fireproof" and "Courageous" and watch them again and again. This one, however, had no plot and was simply boring. I hate to give it a bad review because I love the purpose and passion behind the Kirk Cameron's motive in creating this movie. However, I also cannot allow other unsuspecting parents to spend that much money on something I honestly wouldn't even rent on DVD. Most of the kids we brought fell asleep. The ones who didn't asked exactly what I was wondering, "What was that about?" Kirk Cameron is a great actor. I'm still confused as to how he thought this was a good idea.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

KIRK CAMERON'S SAVING CHRISTMAS opens with a prologue of the actor (as himself) explaining how much he loves everything about the Christmas season, from the trees and decorations to the hot cocoa and carols. He bemoans how critics of Christmas range from the naysayers who don't believe that religious holidays should co-opt all public life to fellow Christians who think that commercial aspects and yuletide cheer take away from the true "reason for the season." Next thing we know, Cameron is attending his sister's (played by real-life sister Bridgette) Christmas party, where he's thrilled to be part of the family's festivities -- until she reveals that her husband (Darren Doane) just isn't into Christmas. This is unacceptable to Cameron, so he follows his Grinch of a brother-in-law, who's sitting in a parked car, and proceeds to explain to him why trees, Santa, decorations, and gifts aren't secular customs but actually symbolic of Jesus' birth, grace, and more.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2):
Kids say (2):

Yes, faith-based films have religious themes, but they should also have a plot, actors, dialogue, and a story; by that measure, Kirk Cameron's Saving Christmas can barely be considered a movie. There's no real plot; almost the entire movie boils down to one long conversation in which Cameron decides to "take back" Christmas traditions from their historical context and imbue them with more strictly religious symbolism. For example, Santa Claus is based on St. Nicholas, and he kicked heretic butt during the Council of Nicaea, even if it wasn't "politically correct" for him to do so. Or, the Christmas tree can be a reminder of the crucifixion -- the tree on which Jesus willingly gave his life. And a pile of wrapped presents under a Christmas tree can remind Christian shoppers of the skyline for the New Jerusalem, where believers will spend an eternity with God.

The most surprising thing about this movie is that Cameron isn't taking on or debating the secular humanists who believe that, as a religious holiday, Christmas shouldn't be thrust upon them during the post-Halloween, pre-New Year time period. Instead, Cameron hopes to gently correct other believers into understanding that, as he sees it, God wants them to spend lavishly on one another, party hard, and go full Pinterest-mode on decorations every Christmas. In other words, he's saying there's nothing wrong with a big, fat, material celebration of the holiday, and those within the faith community who'd rather focus on charity and austerity are just party-pooping curmudgeons who are missing the point entirely. Why anyone would pay to hear Cameron preach about why Christmas should be full of presents, hot cocoa, and Santa photos is indeed a Christmas miracle.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Saving Christmas' view on the holiday. Do you agree that many seemingly secular traditions can have a religious component? Are you surprised that this movie debates curmudgeonly Christians rather than atheists?

  • Discuss your own views on Christmas and the holidays. Talk to your kids about the traditions behind how you celebrate.

  • The movie references the "war on Christmas" and the misguidedness of "political correctness." Are those political statements? If so, do you agree or disagree with them, and why?

Movie Details

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