A Grandpa for Christmas

Becca, the granddaughter of Bert enters suddenly in the life of Bert: her mother had a car accident and is in the hospital: the social worker asks then Bert to take care for Becca. The first moments of the living together are difficult, but one night Bert sings a lullaby for her and she feels well. On the next appears Roxy Famosa and Becca sings "Jingle Bells" , Roxy encourages her to participate in the Christmas spectable. Besides Bert is astonished by so many questions of Becca about his personal life (why there is not Christmas tree in the house for exmple).

A pleasant comedy about the father-daughter relationship, about the importance of the friendship (Roxy, Carl and Adam, Christine the new friend in the school) and about the joy of singing and dancing.

I enjoyed the performances of Ernest Borgnine, Katherine Helmond , Juliette Goglia-the cute Becca-, Richard Libertiny, Tracy Nelson and Jamie Farr.

Saccharine TV movie has a bristly old coot (Borgnine) taking in his young granddaughter whom he never knew existed. Her mother -- his estranged daughter -- has had a car accident and been hospitalized. Tracy Nelsomn has the thankless role of the daughter, who spends most of the movie laid up in a hospital bed. The granddaughter quickly grows on the old man. There's more to the plot, which centers on the granddaughter singing in her school's holiday pageant, but it's not the plot that counts here. It's Borgnine's bravura performance, ably aided by a supporting cast of veterans including Jamie Farr, Richard Libertini and Katherine Helmond. Juliette Goglia is the winsome granddaughter who belts out several tunes like she's doing a road show tour of ANNIE. A little of this goes a long way, if you get my drift.

I have always been an Ernest Borgnine fan going back to my childhood and the Mchale's Navy days. I have seen the comments on this being a sappy movie. This may be true but for those of us that enjoy clean old fashion movies this one gets an A+. The actors are outstanding and the theme is applicable to today's world. If you are looking for sex, violence, and vulgar language this movie is not for you. This would make especially good viewing if your family has experienced any estranged relationships. The movie is appropriate for any age and will be especially appreciated by older adults. It definitely deserved the Golden Globe nomination.

A sweet story to watch while sitting in the glow of a Christmas tree, and sipping some hot chocolate.

The cast are wonderful. Ernest Borgnine plays a senior named Bert who learns his long-estranged daughter was involved in a car accident, and he is the only relative of a granddaughter he didn't even know existed. Now the lonely old guy, used to playing chess in the park with his friend, or hanging out and reminiscing with his group of former movie folks at a local cafe, is asked to take the child in while his daughter recovers from her severe injuries.

Juliette Goglia, as Becca, Bert's granddaughter, is a gem. She and Borgnine play off each other very well, trading playful barbs right and left, and their growing affection is showcased sweetly. Goglia's portrayal of an awkward tween, who brightens with the encouragement of Bert, is really well done. There are themes throughout the story of bonding, forgiveness, understanding, healing, and other issues families deal with. Look for Kris Nelson, Jamie Farr, and some other familiar faces in the cast; an appealing group who all do well in their roles, and looked to be enjoying working together and having fun making the film. Nice Christmas traditions are incorporated into the film in wonderful ways, even things as simple as tree-trimming and a Christmas Eve pageant. Goglia has a wonderful singing voice, by the way.

This was a pleasant Christmas treat, with a very touching and uplifting sentimentality.

This Christmas time movie is one of the BEST! Out of the over 80 holiday movies I've seen, this is in my top 4. I am so glad to see other viewer's comments on this 2007 released movie. Kudos to this entire cast. I've now seen it twice and each time I like it even more and shed a few more tears. Ernest Borgnine, I didn't know how old he was. It doesn't matter. You are just in love with his character and the beauty and warmth of such an individual. What a beautiful spirit and a life lesson. Even though he didn't have his daughter or granddaughter in his life, he was still a joyous, positive, loving person. He did the best he could with his life and his friends speak volumes for his character. And in the end it pays off. But I love the theme of "no regrets". He lives beyond the hurt, beyond the loss. This is probably my favorite Christmas time movie. And, again, the casting was PERFECT!!!