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Angel in the Family Blu-ray Review |
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Angel in the Family Blu-ray
Echo Bridge Entertainment | 2004 | 88 mins | Not rated | Sep 30, 2008
Angel in the Family Blu-ray ReviewDoes this Echo Bridge Blu-ray make for a Heavenly release?Reviewed by Martin Liebman, December 8, 2009 What if you could just come back? 'Tis the season to be jolly, 'tis the season for family, 'tis the season for shopping, and 'tis the season for the onslaught of Christmas movies. Everyone knows someone that packs the DVR full of ABC Family and Hallmark Christmas movies each December, such budget cinematic ventures a thriving enterprise centered around the commercialism of the season, but every now and then one of the movies get it right. Though even the best of the "Made For TV Christmas" genre films fail to inspire much confidence from a purely technical perspective and feature melodramatic stories and impossibly imperfect families that somehow wind up the ideal Christmas clan, a rare few demonstrate a heartfelt and sincere understanding of at least one of the meanings of the Christmas season. One such picture is Angel in the Family, a superficially saccharine made-for-TV effort but one that nicely demonstrates the importance of family, honesty, and love both at Christmastime and, indeed, all the time.
Buddy (Ronny Cox, RoboCop) is living an unfulfilling life in Los Angeles with his unhappy daughter Sarah (Tracey Needham) after the death of his wife Lorraine. When Buddy suffers a mild stroke, Sarah calls on her estranged sister Beth (Natasha Gregson Wagner), a married professional living in Chicago, to fly out to California for what may be Buddy's last Christmas. At Buddy's request, the trio travel to snowy Trinity, California, to rekindle the magic of Christmases past in the house they once called a home. As the family settles in and cleans the dust-ridden furniture, Beth and Sarah begin noticing odd occurrences around the house: old magnets suddenly appear on the refrigerator, beds make themselves, and their mother's famous pie appears in the kitchen. However, none of it comes as a surprise to Buddy; he's been expecting the return of his wife Lorraine (Meredith Baxter) and her sudden re-appearance comes as a shock to Sarah and Beth, but not to Buddy. With the family reunited for one last Christmas, Lorraine must work to settle the family's differences and ensure that it can go on without her once and for all. Angel in the Family may not boast the production values of a major Hollywood Holiday release, but it does have what counts the most: heart. This is a gentle, easy-on-the-soul picture with a good message that overcomes any shortcomings that would otherwise hinder a more meandering or less purposeful picture, Holiday-themed or otherwise. While shying away from more bluntly conveying the truer and more spiritual side of the Christmas Holiday, Angel in the Family hints at it through its overreaching message as a family is reunited not only with a loved one long since departed but with one another. Its message is a basic one, speaking on the importance of family, understanding, trust, honesty, and acceptance, and each familial obstacle is overcome predictably yet sweetly. Like the quality of the film, the script leaves nothing to the imagination, nor does it delve from genre norm, but the quality of the performances -- particularly from a genuinely touching Ronny Cox who plays his part with the sincerity and believability of a man that hasn't given up hope on his family -- elevate otherwise standard stuff a few notches and put the final touches on a heartwarming Christmas tale. Video  Angel in the Family floats onto Blu-ray with a 1080p, 1.78:1-framed transfer that delivers an image on-par with both the film's humble origins and bargain price tag. Not one to compete with even moderately-budgeted Hollywood fare, Angel in the Family's transfer nevertheless boasts decent detail throughout; whether scratches and chips in an old piano seen near the beginning of the film or the thick yarn of Sarah's pink sweater, the transfer renders fine object detail with a fair amount of clarity, though some objects, such as clumps of foliage, lack much in the way of distinguishing features. Many interior shots take on a warm, orange-tinted tone, but the bulk of the film features some unsightly excess noise. The image is rather sharp, but several scenes go noticeably soft. Colors are fairly stable, and the film presents a nice array of hues that add to the Holiday theme. Overall, this one's not much to look at, but it's nevertheless a decent presentation that reflects what viewers might expect of a typical high definition broadcast. That said, it looks about as good as one might expect given all the surrounding circumstances. Audio  Angel in the Family descends onto Blu-ray with two audio options: PCM 2.0 and Dolby Digital 2.0 presentations. Both feature fairly equal volume at reference level, but the uncompressed option delivers a slightly more clear but no more robust or otherwise engaging listen. Dialogue presentation is slightly boomy and unbalanced, often sounding unnatural and tacked on after the fact. In addition, environmental ambience -- particularly in some of the early Los Angeles scenes -- sounds too loud and aggressive in relation to the dialogue presentation. Music delivery is sound but not impeccably clear. The track never takes advantage of the capabilities of the format, but like the video, this is a budget film and the basic nature of the soundtrack is not necessarily welcome, but expected. Angel in the Family's soundtrack does all that's asked of it. It's nothing of note, but instead suitably fine for what it is and all that's required of it. Supplements  This Blu-ray release of Angel in the Family contains no bonus materials. Final words Angel in the Family isn't exactly the sort of Holiday film that will appeal to all viewers. It lacks the humor of Christmas Vacation and the timelessness of A Christmas Story, but it has its heart in the right place, and its message overcomes any technical shortcomings that are a result of a limited budget. Though the disc lacks bonus materials and the audio and video presentations aren't exactly up to the demanding standards of most Blu-ray aficionados, Angel in the Family would make for a good stocking-stuffer for the more sentimental members of the family who can't get enough of the annual deluge of made-for-TV Christmas fare. Considering both the price and sweetness of the movie and its message, there's little reason to say "bah humbug" to this Echo Bridge release. 
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