All Mine To Give

Six Kids On A True And Wonderful Adventure!

Well that's what the cover of the DVD promised. In practice the words that continually kept floating through my mind during this were "I can't help but notice that we're (HOWEVER MANY) minutes into this film and we still have yet to see any kids begin any adventure that can be reasonably described as either 'true' or 'wonderful'." Yes, this remained my stance right up until the closing titles.

Of course it did. Couple travel far away from home to see relative who they learn has just died. Couple are afflicted with six children. Father falls sick and dies. Mother falls sick and dies. Eldest kid trudges through the snow trying to find five families to take each of his sobbing siblings away from him, forever. On Christmas Day!

As the scenes get longer, the pauses between the dialogue get longer, and even the music becomes slower and slower.

I think it's meant to be an ironic arrangement of Give Me Joy In My Heart, which might have been a better title for the movie.

What's that? You've never seen this getting an airing during the festive holiday TV schedules? There's a reason for that - 'tis the season to be jolly.

(available here)