“Northpole” is a fun family Christmas film for the entire family and I definitely recommend giving this a watch!
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TITLE: Northpole
FILM YEAR: 2014
DURATION: 85 Minutes
BLU-RAY DISC INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition
RATED: G
COMPANY: Hallmark Channel
RATED: TV-PG
Directed by Douglass Barr
Written by Gregg Rossen, Brian Sawyer
Executive Producer: Amy Cecil, Charlie O’Shields, Michael Prupas, Joel S. Rice, Fernando Szew
Produced by Irene Litinsky
Co-Producer: Nikki Taylor Fisher
Associate Producer: Elissa Lewis
Creative Executive: Bart Fisher
Music by James Gelfand
Cinematography by Pierre Jodoin
Edited by Annie Ilkow
Casting by Rosina Bucci, Nadia Rona
Art Direction by Pierre Perrault
Production Design by Zoe Sakellaropoulo
Set Decoration: Eve Boulonne, Delphone Gelinas, Jose Fernando Varela
Costume Design: Janet Campbell
Starring:
Tiffani Thiessen as Chelsea Hastings
Josh Hopkins as Ryan Wilson
Bailee Madison as Clementine
Max Charles as Kevin Hastings
Candice Glover as Josephine
Jonathan Potts as Mr. Jenkins
Richard Fitzpatrick as Ernie Pendleton
Jill St. John as Mrs. Claus
Robert Wagner as Santa Claus
For day 29, I am reviewing the 2014 Hallmark Channel holiday telefilm “Northpole”.
While many equate Hallmark Channel films to be romantic comedies, “Northpole” is one that the whole family can enjoy together.
The film is directed by Douglas Barr (“Dead Badge”, “Secrets of the Mountain”) and co-written by Greg Rossen and Brian Sawyer (both known for their work in the “Crossword Mysteries” films), the film would star Tiffani Thiesen (“Saved By the Bell”, “White Collar”, “Beverly Hills, 90210”), Josh Hopkins (“The Perfect Storm”, “G.I. Jane”, “Only the Brave”), Bailee Madison (“Brothers”, “Bridge to Terabithia”), Max Charles (“The Lion Guard”, “American Dad!”), Jill St. John (“Hart to Hart”, “The Love Boat”, “The Oscar”, “Diamonds are Forever”), Robert Wagner (“Hart to Hart”, “The Towering Inferno”, “Austin Powers” films, “Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story”) and many more.
The film begins with an elf in the Northpole named Clementine (portrayed by Bailee Madison) noticing something wrong while looking at the Northern Lights and tells Santa (portrayed by Robert Wagner) about it.
As sparks of happiness rise, it forms the Northern Lights which then float down to magical snowflakes, which elves use to make toys to make children. But there is a problem with the Northern Lights.
Meanwhile, the film then takes us to the Hastings family. Chelsea Hastings (portrayed by Tiffani Thiesen) and Kevin Hastings (portrayed by Max Charles) have moved to a small town where Chelsea works as an advice columnist for a newspaper.
Chelsea is desperately wanting to move up and the editor gives her, her first assignment and that is to write about the town wanting to stop the long age tradition of celebrating Christmas at Greenwood Park to save money.
Meanwhile, we learn that Kevin loves Christmas and hopes to take part in the town’s Christmas traditions but unlike the other kids in school, he seems to be more interested in Christmas more than others. He’s hoping by starting a Christmas Committee, others will participate.
His teacher Mr. Wilson (portrayed by Josh Hopkins) encourages him on creative thinking, but Kevin is saddened that the town is getting rid of its Christmas tradition and while driving through town, not one store is celebrating Christmas, despite Christmas being a week away.
One day, while going through the photo albums and remembering Christmas, in the North Pole, Clemetine discovers Kevin wishing for Christmas and hoping maybe Kevin can help her bring back people’s interest in Christmas.
So, she sends him an anonymous Christmas gift, a Northpole communicator and Kevin and Clementine begin to communicate. His mother hears him talking to someone and when he tells her he is speaking to an elf named Clementine in the Northpole, she begins to get worried that her son is talking to himself and has imaginative friends and she tells her son’s teacher, Mr. Wilson about it. Mr. Wilson encourages his son’s creative thinking, but will keep an eye out for him just in case.
While Chelsea continues to work on her article to find out the real reason why the city is trying to stop the Christmas festivities from taking place.
Meanwhile, Clementine wanting to prove that she is real to Kevin, takes Santa’s reindeer and takes Kevin to the Northpole and sees the elves and showing the problem that is happening that will affect the Northpole. She hopes Kevin will work with her in making a Christmas miracle happen.
“Northpole” is a fun and entertaining Christmas film that children and the young at heart will no doubt enjoy. It’s a film about how the Christmas spirit is waning and people’s non-belief in it is affected the Northpole and things are not the way they used to be.
But if they can jumpstart Christmas in a town that is not a believer in it and is getting rid of their longtime Christmas tradition in town, can an elf and a boy rescue Christmas?
Both Bailee Madison and Max Charles do a great job as being a team of trying to make Christmas happen, while it was interesting to see Tiffani Thiessen playing a more motherly role, while Josh Hopkins playing a teacher who supports Kevin’s creative thinking.
The biggest surprise was seeing the reunion of “Hart to Hart” (a TV series in 1979) actors Robert Wagner and Jill St. John as Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus. It’s a long awaited reunion, so only those who grew up during that time would know the significance.
If anything, “Northpole” is a fun family Christmas film for the entire family and I definitely recommend giving this a watch!
PURCHASE THIS FILM ON AMAZON PRIME