Guess Who's Coming for Christmas? (TV Movie 1990) Poster

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A Cup of Coffee with E.T.
elshikh429 November 2008
There is one important opinion which says that Steven Spielberg's (E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial - 1982) defined the 1980s' cinema. I totally agree. Here, at the end of the era, you'd find some distinct popular icons of these innocent days: the believing in the dream and the clinging to it, there is a kind UFO after all, the greatness of the friendship especially between different races, the childhood is valuable thing in the human, and how the sense of miracle exists in our daily life.

Lovely days.. huh? Because for instance, after 2001, Spielberg himself would make (The War of The Worlds) where E.T. returns as the evil guy this time !

The thing about this kind of movies is that it shows the fairytale's sense of prodigy, however in the usual contemporary American suburb, where the middle-class characters live reality without much to imagine.

The best of (Guess Who's Coming for Christmas) or (UFO Café) was its dealing with the resistant neighbors, who consider dreaming an equivalent to madness. Let alone representing the lead, the middle-aged super cute (Richard Mulligan), as a friendly man who still has a childish spirit, still wonders, questions, and dresses like (Abraham Lincoln) in occasions. "At least, he knows who that was!" which's the most memorable line in the movie. It's so similar to another debate in another 80's dreamy dream (Field of Dreams - 1989). I loved too the scene in which (Mulligan) finds no solution better than (Ethel Merman) to escape from the police interrogation. There are no chases, hot thrill, or even big special effects. This one has a tender personality of its own. You'd love the ending too, it's so symbolic when it comes to the movie's core and its real message.

Else (E.T. - 1982), you have to recall the second segment of (Twilight Zone: The Movie - 1983), or movies like (Cocoon - 1985), (Batteries not included - 1987). Actually, they represent the era's lovely manifesto. As life can literally end if one stops dreaming, or how you become old already if you let your habitual reality beat you, and cancel your own incredible individualism. It assures that the dream is something out of this world (aka metaphorically: aliens). And if you give your dream much faith and fight for it, it may come true, and equal your love at the end, miraculously.

It's a delightful movie. One plain TV production that's perfect as my afternoon one. And I think it's kind of rare to find anything like it among the American movies or TV shows of today.
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7/10
There is more than just science ... God said so.
dennisg-616 February 2010
Innocence and kindness can allow amazing things to occur.

St. Paul states that there are angels coming and going on earth all the time (but we usually will not recognize them as such).

Why does the Bible state this? To me, it means that there are a lot of things occurring all the time which are beyond the "ordinary" world.

There are literally 1000s of (otherwise) ordinary people who have seen UFOs. What are UFOs? I don't know, and I don't care. Heck, for that matter, What are angels? I don't know, and I don't care (I just know that angels exist).

So, here is a movie which chronicles the sighting of a UFO (and a man who claims to be from another planet). Arnold says he builds pod-malls on another planet. OK.

This movie is a fantasy. It takes us through the trials and tribulations of not only (1) seeing a UFO, but also (2) telling others that you have seen a UFO -- and a man who claims to fly it.

Beau Bridges is very good as an interplanetary designer. Richard Mulligan turns in a bravura performance as a simple, believing man. The cast is rounded out with many familiar faces, including 2 others who see the spaceship taking off (after meeting Arnold).

So, as far as Christmas movies go, this is a wonderful chance to "Let Go" of having the universe in a box, and see the way others deal with their beliefs.
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Great as a belief stretching exercise
raymac_9726 April 2003
This movie brings out all the basic issues to do with faith and evidence for faith. I liked the way it cultivated the values of small town America. The movie is well acted on the most part and helps people see what trust is all about. It is an illustration of what faith in Jesus Christ is all about, despite criticism and opposition.
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