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The Christmas Card

The Christmas Card

Drama · Romance · TV Movie · 2006

Sergeant Cody Cullen is deeply touched by a homemade Christmas card he receives while serving in Afghanistan. Upon his discharge, he treks to the picturesque California town of Nevada City. Cody is soon welcomed into the Spelman home and unexpectedly falls in love with the woman who sent the card, Faith.

Movie details

The Christmas Card

2006 Drama · Romance · TV Movie 1h 24m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.2 / 10

Community rating

Sergeant Cody Cullen is deeply touched by a homemade Christmas card he receives while serving in Afghanistan. Upon his discharge, he treks to the picturesque California town of Nevada City. Cody is soon welcomed into the Spelman home and unexpectedly falls in love with the woman who sent the card, Faith.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over The Christmas Card?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Stephen Bridgewater

Written by

Joany Kane

John Newton

John Newton

Cody Cullen

Ed Asner

Ed Asner

Luke Spelman

Alice Evans

Alice Evans

Faith Spelman

Peter Jason

Peter Jason

Richard

Ben Weber

Ben Weber

Paul

Lois Nettleton

Lois Nettleton

Rosie Spelman

G

Glorinda Marie

Molly

Court is in session

Put The Christmas Card on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Sentimental Softie

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Cool Ironist

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.