Delightful Christmas romantic comedy about a widowed single mother (Janet Leigh) who gets a toy store clerk (Robert Mitchum) fired and thus begins their bumpy road to romance. It's a very special movie, underrated in many ways. The performances are all earnest and authentic. The script is smart, funny, and heartwarming without being cloying. Robert Mitchum and Janet Leigh are both great and have a wonderful, believable chemistry together. Child actor Gordon Gebert is adorable. His performance feels very real, though I suspect some of that is accidental. What I mean is sometimes the actor seems to stumble over lines in such a way it doesn't seem like acting. Instead of being a flaw, however, it actually works. His infectious enthusiasm in the role certainly helps. So the question remains how much is intentional on his part and how much is just serendipity. Either way, the end result is an enjoyable performance that feels legit compared to most overly-precocious child actors. Wendell Corey is really good in a well-written role. The 'also-ran' guy in romantic comedies is usually pretty clichéd. This one is a genuinely nice, dependable guy who, like so many nice guys, just can't compete with handsome dreamers like Mitchum. It's a terrific film with a lot going for it. It never talks down to you or plays with your emotions in a cheap way. It's just a very genuine, mature romance story about characters who feel like real people not movie 'types.'
Review of Holiday Affair
