A magical story about a pair of shoes that bring two strangers together. It's a tear jerker so it may not everyone's idea of a family Christmas movie, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.Plot In A Paragraph: Two separate stories come together, in the first, a young music teacher, Maggie Andrews, is dying due to a heart problem and her son Nathan is trying to buy her a pair of Christmas shoes for her before she dies. In the second story, workaholic lawyer Robert Layton (Rob Lowe) and his wife Kate are drifting apart and things come to a head during Christmas when Kate takes over for Maggie for the school choir and turns down a job with Roberts company. Robert and Nathan's paths cross as Nathan tries to raise money for the shoes and Robert tries to get a present for his daughter.Rob Lowe is excellent as both the jerk and the guy who has seen the error of his ways. Dorian Harewood (who I must has seen in over 50 movies and TV shows, but none immediately come to mind) deserves special praise, as does Kimberley Williams Paisley and Max Morrow.

In a small city, two families are in trouble. One, headed by hard-working lawyer Robert (Rob Lowe) is experiencing problems caused by Robert's long hours. He and his wife are not getting along and his darling daughter is sad that her father can never seem to make it to one of her school choir events. Arguments ensue between the spouses, also caused by Robert wanting his wife to go back to work so he can get a new car and play looser with the family's money. Meanwhile, heading the school choir is music teacher, Maggie (Kimberly Williams-Paisley). She and her husband, a car repair business owner, have been at odds about getting their tween son a dog, which he longs for. So far, no dog arrives. But, very sad news does. Maggie's heart has been affected by a virus; she has been having trouble breathing. This most important organ is damaged beyond help and she is added to a transplant list. Unfortunately, her rare blood type is going to complicate the process. Finally, Robert's mother is getting up in years and she would so like to have more time with her son. It hasn't happened yet. When Maggie's son is told about the seriousness of his mom's illness, his one wish it to buy her the "most beautiful pair of shoes" in the world, which he spies in a store window. The young boy is on his own raising the money, dad won't help. But, a kind neighbor of his grandma's (Dorian Harewood), just might be able to aid the lad. As Christmas approaches, will Robert learn to appreciate the best things in life? Will Maggie make it to the Big Day? This lovely film has many wonderful lessons about the most important matters in life. No, its not new cars, flashy homes, lucrative but time-consuming jobs or the like. Its loving those closest to us and getting loved right back. As such, love is timeless, too, as people we love are lost yet we hold them in our hearts. This film moved me to a waterfall of tears while warming my heart in a big way. The cast, especially Lowe in a tricky, sometimes maddening role, is very, very nice. Also well chosen are the sets, costumes, and meaningful direction. No, its probably not the movie to choose if you need happier fare. But, do make time for it someday, its a shoe-in for a yearly viewing choice.

I loved this Christmas movie, and it was very enjoyable to watch with my mother. I recommend watching The Christmas Shoes, especially with your family, as it is a very cute, yet sad, story about love and families. It is a great movie for the holiday season and displays the importance of it with an amazing plot. The characters are very lovable and are easy to relate to. The acting was incredible and flawless Max Mower and Amber Marshall are perfect for the roles of two cute little kids, and their acting is very enjoyable to watch. This story really teaches us all a lesson, and along with being great for our entertainment, this movie has a a meaningful plot and ending. All in all, watching the movie with not be disappointing and will warm your heart.

This movie about a little boy wanting to buy a pair of shoes so his mother could wear them when she went to see Jesus (she is dying while waiting for a heart transplant) was just too sad for a Christmas Movie. The ending, while showing what a difference was made in Rob Lowe and his family's life, was one sided. The boy's mom died leaving him and his father to cope while Rob Lowe learned a lesson about his family life by the tragedy. A pretty good story for any other time of year than the Christmas Season. It was a total tearjerker an I do not think that is what Christmas should be about. A true miracle ending would have been the Mom getting the heart transplant along with Rob Lowe's finding the true meaning of Christmas.