This is my favorite Christmas-time movie after "GO!" which may sound strange, except that what both have in common is a Christmas-time setting and stories that largely have nothing to do with Christmas in the traditional Santa Claus/Jesus Christ/Discover the True Meaning of Christmas way, and yet both somehow manage to tie in very un-Christmasy stories with central Christmas themes, like hope, surprise and value. As TV movies made for the family go, ANGEL SQUARE is pretty darn good, fairly funny, surprisingly insightful and deep in places, and almost never easy, corny, or un-subtle (these three things being the typical downfall of most made for TV movies). The performances are all good, the story movies quickly and is deftly told with extremely memorable characters- especially the children, who are well written, three dimensional adolescents lacking the stupidity and insulting flatness of most TV movie characters their age. Also, the use of comic book conventions rather than special affects is nicely done, and keeps the material light- even when darker subjects, like war and anti-semetism and racism are being depicted.
