I have often thought about how, while we are all going about our daily lives almost on autopilot, complaining about how our pants make our butts look big, how our teen is obnoxious, how traffic is terrible, etc., huge, life-altering things are happening to people. As with all things, it’s how we choose to react to these things that determine how we get through them.
The Heart of Christmas is the true story of Austin and Julie Locke, who are devastated to learn that their young son, Dax, has cancer. Fearing that their son won’t live to see another Christmas, the Locke’s and their entire neighborhood create Christmas in October for Dax. Grab a box of tissues before you even press “play,” I’m just telling you. The movie will take you on a roller coaster ride of emotions. But it is certainly not all about despair.
Through telling the story of Dax, a lot of lessons are taught about the importance of living each day fully, treasuring those we love, being grateful for the little things, not letting our lives get away from us and expanding our definition of who family really is. There’s even an eye-rolling, snarky teenager in there to keep the movie from feeling too sappy.
It feels almost wrong to say this about a movie with such a tender topic but the acting feels forced at times and there are definite religious undertones which might turn some people off. And while it’s a hopeful movie, you’d have to be made of stone to not shed at least one tear over this movie. So be prepared for that.
Since the DVD is out now, close to the holidays, it would be a good movie to watch as a family or even on your own when you are getting bogged down in the frenzied details of this glorious time of year. Very quickly, you’ll be brought back around to the right priorities like a gentle thump to the head – “Oh ya, got it.”
The Heart of Christmas is rated PG and is on sale now. Watch for the opportunity to WIN The Heart of Christmas DVD coming up on October 26.
To learn more about Dax Locke, visit Dax Locke Foundation website: http://www.daxlocke.org
– Courtney
