This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

Awkward, odd, strained, maybe even inappropriate.Jason Robards is a widow who doesn't want to travel to see his son's family, but still doesn't want to be alone for Christmas. So what does he do? In effect, he asks a strange man at a strange "relationship" agency to set him up with the equivalent of an escort, but one his own age. Hanky Panky? Oh, no, he says, "two separate rooms".Whether you like this movie will be strictly a matter of taste. I found it slow, and yes awkward. The situation was so strange, I just couldn't relax with it, and I think that's what you would need to enjoy it.The acting was fine. The plot was, well as I said, strange. It wasn't helped by the fact that it is a short story adapted to a TV movie and as a result, there isn't a lot of substance to the plot. Most of what you get out of it is between the lines.

BEWARE OF BOGUS REVIEWS. SOME REVIEWERS HAVE ONLY ONE REVIEW TO THEIR NAME. NOW WHEN ITS A POSITIVE REVIEW THAT TELLS ME THEY WERE INVOLVED WITH THE MOVIE. IF ITS A NEGATIVE REVIEW THEN THEY MIGHT HAVE A GRUDGE AGAINST THE FILM . NOW I HAVE REVIEWED OVER 200 HOLIDAY FILMS. I HAVE NO AGENDA. I AM VERY FARE ABOUT THESE FILMSThis film is such a pleasure to watch. Older adults will enjoy this more than people under 30. It also nice to see a film where great actors are given great material to work with. In this film Widower John Tanner (Jason Robards) is unhappy that he has to miss a longstanding Christmas gathering with his son Jim (Jim Eckhouse) and his family. So to avoid being alone, he decides to hire a platonic companion for the holidays, enlisting the services of forlorn escort Iris (Julie Harris). He makes it clear from the beginning, however, that there will be no hanky-panky between the two. But sparks begin to fly when charming John begins to warm Iris' bitter and bleary heart.This film is not what you will expect. The film really shines because it does show on hard hard the holidays can be for people when they are facing it alone. It also shows however "The person you are may not be the package you are presenting". I will watch this again. Its special.

I enjoyed this movie and thought it was artfully done, and very poignant. It was a definite "chick flick". Sadly for me, the CD, which I checked out at the local library, had a flaw in it right at the critical moment which lead up to the "secret". I could not get it to play and I had to skip to the ending. It stopped right as Iris was going to tell her secret. Please, someone let me know what that secret was. I missed all of the scene from where she was pouring him coffee and onwards. The next scene I saw was when he dropped her off at the bus stop. I would really like to know what her secret was!! I can imagine all sorts of things, but my suspicion is that she was married.

I saw this movie last night on WhiteSprings TV. They play many old old made for TV specials. This movie seems like a play on a stage. It is warm and cute, with many warm moments to make a warm smile come to you face. The movie is all about letting go and Iris teaching John how to do this. It is a story of two people not getting what they expected but getting something even deeper in return. I don't think the secret of Iris ruins the movie in the end but rather teaches a lesson that we don't always get what we expect. Her secret also teaches John how to open up and let go and in the end move on with his life towards other horizons .Julie Haris is an absolute angel. This is not a fast paced movie, but rather slow and reserved and not depressing at all.