Christmas in Canaan Review

Reviewed by Dawn Watson

Starring: Billy Ray Cyrus, Tom Heaton, Jessica McLeod
Directed by: Neill Fearnley
Certificate: PG
Running Time: 120 minutes
Release Date: 3 November 2014
Format: DVD
Price: £6.99

This was a film that I hadn’t heard of and was not sure what to expect – my two girls and I sat down to watch and from the minute we did I didn’t hear a peep out of them.

This is a story based on a book written by country and western singer Kenny Rogers and his writing partner Donald Davenport. It stars Billy Ray Cyrus (Miley’s dad) who plays the part of widower Daniel Burton struggling to raise his family in Canaan, Texas in the 60’s.

The children have very little other than a loving father who works his land to provide for his children. The children are picked up by their school bus and it is noticeable the divide between the front of the bus and the back – the back being where the black children sit… DJ and a school classmate Rodney (who is from the back of the bus) fight over school work – both are polar opposites, DJ a tough farm boy and Rodney, a bright studious boy. Daniel then realises his son DJ has been making racist remarks and is being unkind to Rodney. So Rodney’s grandmother and Daniel (DJ’s dad) hatch a plan to sort them out! By forcing them to stay at each other’s houses and to do so in front of all the other classmates. At first both boys are angry and upset and feel nothing but contempt for each other, but on finding a poor wounded puppy, shot by a neighbour, in the fields near DJ’s home they work together to nurse ‘Bandit’ back to health . Their friendship then blossoms into one which is lifelong, surprising their classmates by then sharing the back of the bus together.

From there the story evolves around family life and how when Rodney’s grandmother passes away Rodney is taken in by the Burtons, even although there was little money and he quickly became part of their family.

The story picks up a few years later when the Civil Rights Movement has really began but is being met by stiff resistance in their Texas town… the children are teenagers and its Christmas. Money was very tight with only one small present each, however Daniel chose pictures of gifts he would have loved to give his children if he had money! It was a heartfelt moment – a true gift of the heart – one which inspired Rodney, a keen storyteller to write of hope and love with this family and to continue to do so as he grew up.

But with the Civil Rights Movement in full swing a terrible accident happens to the youngest family member, he was cycling to the civil rights meeting to try and warn Rodney of danger if he goes to the meeting –  a fire breaks out – caused deliberately by locals angered at the meeting – and as Bobby cycles to the meeting he is knocked down by the locals who started the fire, and is found paralysed.

The story picks up a few years later with Rodney reading an extract from his own book to a group of people at a book store! He has never forgotten the true act of kindness shown by Daniel and his family to him and he wants to show them he has never forgotten.

Without giving the ending away the film ends with a real feel good feeling, a film which really makes you realise that life shouldn’t be about material things – it should be about family, love, hope and friendship and how that can be worth more than anything material that you can be given. It really opened a whole discussion with my two girls (7 years and 11 years) – they couldn’t believe there were no presents at Christmas, about why DJ wouldn’t’ sit with Rodney to begin with. Although we all found it sad in bits, I also found it really heart-warming and thought provoking…

Rating: 4/5

RRP: £6.99