Penny Walker

The Republic | azcentral.com

Critic%27s review%3A 2 stars

How do you prove a horse is an animal? Because I like Sweden.

That's the style of absurd logic that happens in "Kirk Cameron's Saving Christmas," an earnest movie that strives to show that the overflow of Santa hats, gifts and decked halls is in fact still keeping Christ at the center of Christmas.

Kirk Cameron, playing himself, is at a Christmas party in full, jolly swing at the home of his sister (played by real-life sister Bridgette Cameron). He discovers that her husband, Christian (not played by her real-life husband, but instead by director and co-writer Darren Doane), is struggling. He's just not into Christmas this year. This is cause for concern.

Kirk eventually finds him sitting out in his car. Kirk climbs in and patiently waits while Christian explains what's bothering him. It's the materialism, how everyone just cares about the presents and the tinsel — where, Christian asks, is Jesus in that party going on in there, with the tree and the Santa and all the other non-Bible things?

It is in Kirk's defense of holiday trappings where the logic train jumps the tracks. To explain away the non-religious holiday decorations, he goes into a lengthy exploration of the nativity — albeit a poetical one that brings up some interesting observations about the swaddling cloth and the manger — but it's still an explanation of the nativity, the one part of holiday decor that no one questions whether it's about Jesus' birth. Later, to explain the Christmas tree (he scoffs at the idea that it has pagan origins), he talks about the trees in the Garden of Eden. Those were trees, therefore any tree applies to Christmas.

Acknowledging the pagan origins of some Christmas traditions wouldn't remove the meaning we've given them now (the evergreen tree that was once part of a solstice ritual now represents everlasting life, for example). But the movie is so afraid to give an inch that it tortures illogical backstories for everything.

In fact, the only part of Kirk's explanation that doesn't cause eye rolls is his story of St. Nicholas, a righteously angry, serious bad dude who picked fights in a tavern to defend Jesus' reputation. It's the high point of the movie (until he "ho-ho-ho's").

These explanations accepted, a reformed Christian rejoins the party, apologizes to his wife and orchestrates a group hip-hop dance circle (because why not?). That dance sequence, plus the 10 minutes of end credits/bloopers, means the actual movie part of the movie is only about an hour. A mercy.

Let it be understood that this is in no way a criticism of the Christian faith, but simply of this particular movie. It's a shame that the Bible — full of poetic writing, action/adventure, romance, family dramas, escapes, betrayals, violence and beauty — should have resulted in so many mediocre movies. There are a few exceptions, but for the most part, faith cinema is lacking.

Beyond the leaps in logic, the most troubling part of this film is that it just feels like a defense of the excess of Christmas.

"Sure, don't max out your credit cards," Kirk says. "But remember, this is a celebration of the eternal God taking on a material body. So it's right that our holiday is marked with material things."

The thing is, it's OK just to enjoy giving gifts to people. To make those presents holy by applying such reasoning could lead many down a dangerous path of sanctified greed. The film doesn't explore that, which casts a pall over all its good intentions.

Reach the reporter at penny.walker@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8654.

'Kirk Cameron's Saving Christmas'

2 stars

Director: Darren Doane.

Cast: Kirk Cameron, Darren Doane, Bridgette Cameron.

Rating: PG for some thematic elements.