It’s impossible to deny the magic and marvel of the holiday season. The insurmountable bliss and serenity looming in the atmosphere are palpable and downright heartening as families, friends, and the world come together to celebrate the gift of life, faith, and love. It has birthed centuries of tradition unique to every community that only keeps getting better through the years.
The Christmas Miracle
Christmas Jars (2019) is a film adaptation based on the New York Times Best-Selling Novel of the same title penned by Jason Wright. The story begins when an aspiring journalist working for an esteemed media publication company, Hope Jensen, yearns to advance her career as a writer while grieving the loss of her adoptive mother.
As Christmas is just right around the corner, her eccentric boss is on the lookout for breaking stories full of heart, tradition, and holiday spirit to share with their huge audience. Upon returning home from work, she finds her house compromised in a devastating robbery. However, in the midst of the unfortunate circumstances in her life, she finds a glimmer of hope from a “Christmas Jar” filled with money sitting at her doorstep that was given by an anonymous donor.
Aside from the forgivable sappy dialogues expected of this genre, the film delivered in putting a spin on a run-of-the-mill holiday flick…
Keen to unravel the remarkable mystery behind the kind gesture, she uses this opportunity to apply her journalistic skills to discover its origin and at the same time prove to her boss that she deserves that sought-after promotion. Her journey leads her down a path of self-actualization, fostering new-found relationships, compassion and benevolence; culminating to a deeply heart-warming and cathartic resolution that will certainly make even the grinchiest people beam with joy and appreciation.
Aside from the forgivable sappy dialogues expected of this genre, the film delivered in putting a spin on a run-of-the-mill holiday flick by incorporating fundamental story elements, such as, multi-dimensional characters, strong plot and dramatic conflict as well as picturesque sceneries that beautifully bring the story to life. The various threads in the narrative were seamlessly unified without being too predictable and the promise of the premise was wonderfully conveyed. Most importantly, they did justice to a young female protagonist by letting her grow from her struggles, muster the courage to express her own convictions, and become the definition of a resilient, independent, and fearless woman of today.
Kindness is Contagious
Above all, the story goes beyond literature and entertainment. The heart of the story is organically about the power of kindness and generosity. It aims to bring a whole new meaning to the season of giving by encouraging us to extend our blessings to help the underprivileged or anyone who is simply going through a rough time.
Author Jason Wright found the brilliant idea on a random late-night conversation with his wife at home. It suddenly dawned on him that he needed to change his self-centeredness, and thought the best way to do so is by being the change in someone else’s life. So, he proposed to his family to put their spare change in the mason jar he placed on his kitchen counter, which they would anonymously donate to a chosen family every Christmas Eve.
With all the chaos and noise happening in the world today, random acts of kindness could drastically make all the difference in someone’s life especially at a time they need it the most, as evident in the positive outcomes depicted across actual recipients, the book, and the film. A little boy battling cancer is a testament of the miraculous effect it could have on anyone it touches.
The Christmas Jars phenomenon has evolved into a practiced tradition in different parts of the world, but we could do so much more in raising awareness about it. This film could serve as a vessel to spread the word and inspire everyone to become a Christmas miracle in their own little way. Gather your loved ones and watch Christmas Jars together on byutv on December 1, 2019.
