The Nine Lives of Christmas

Zachary is a firefighter; he likes his job, lets nobody into his house and does not let relationships run long. One evening he finds a stray cat outside his door. He does not intend to let it in, but the weather is cold and Christmas is coming. Marilee is studying to be a vet and works in a shop; she is looking for somewhere to live with her own cat. The cat brings them together. Marilee has no home and Zachary's house is large. They agree to share it for a month, and both cats are in the same house. Mark Jean directs. Brandon Routh, Kimberley Sustad, Chelsea Hobbs and Gregory Harrison are in the cast. The film is adapted from a novel by Sheila Roberts. It was made for television, in America. The film is in the holiday television mould; the setup, the obstacle and the resolution are known from the start. The matter it treats is avoiding attachment, and the cat is used as the shorthand for it. The narrative keeps the conflict soft and nobody is really bad. The film shows the cat a great deal and most of the comedy comes from it. The production is small in scale; there are few locations and the snow is artificial. The narrative uses Christmas imagery from beginning to end. It also became the source for a sequel the same channel made in later years. The ending arrives where it is expected. Its limit is predictability; the plot is thin, the acting at television scale, and there are no surprises. Who it is for: viewers who like holiday films and light romantic comedy. Who it is not for: it is simple, predictable, and the ending what you expect.