This is a unique and modern Christmas story. The assistant teacher in the film, Desmond Poppy (Marc Wootton), marches to the beat of his own drum. He is off the wall to be sure. He wants the class he is helping with to enter a Song for Christmas contest. The head teacher of the school, his Aunt Pat, wants no part of the contest. But Desmond is determined and convinces new teacher, Mr. Peterson (David Tennant), to take the class to the competition without Aunt Pat knowing. Adding to the interest is the fact that Mr. Peterson’s twin brother Roderick is a masterful choir director and he will have his own class at the competition.
Although the music is terrific the film is a bit irreverent at times, for example: a young girl mentions Santa losing his “willy” during the end credits. And in another scene when the kids learn they can’t compete in the Christmas Song competition one says, “Teachers are losers” and the assistant teacher, Mr. Poppy, agrees with them.
However, there are some terrific Christmas songs featured and the children wind up doing a bit of a modern Nativity scene with a real live woman, Mr. Peterson’s wife, giving birth on stage to her baby and she lays him in a manger!
This is a different kind of Christmas movie and we award it our Dove Seal for ages twelve plus.
