Inspired by true events, the plot takes place in 1951 and revolves around Mr. Caulfield, the owner of a coal mine. During Christmas, there are several explosions. His employees worry about their health and decide to strike, without any luck. One of the miners, Johnny, is determined to improve the working conditions and wants the other miners to have a great holiday. However, this goes terribly wrong when they are trapped underground following an explosion. Their family are desperate to save them, worrying there might be an even bigger and deadlier explosion.
Director: Jud Taylor. AKA Christmas Miracle in Caufield, U.S.A.
Stars: Mitchell Ryan, Kurt Russell, Andrew Prine, John Carradine, Barbara Babcock, Don Porter, Karen Lamm, Melissa Gilbert, Bill McKinney, Shelby Leverington, Rossie Harris, Stephan Early, James MacKrell, Phil Adams, Sean Fallon Walsh, Skip Lundby, Robert Jeffries.
An okay kitschy kind of Made-for-Television movie takes a very serious social problem & wraps it around a sentimental Christmas story. The plight of the coal miner & their union in the early 1950’s was heightend by several major coal mine disasters & the problem of labor unionizing against the corporate greed of the owners created a dangerous conflict. But that does get trivialized by the happy Christmas themes in an otherwise upbeat film about family & the holiday. Better made than many made-for-television movies possibly because of a good cast & the production team behind 20th-Fox Television. Thanks Jon for offering this one.
THIS HAS BEEN ONE OF MY FAVORITE CHRISTMAS MOVIES SINCE I WAS A CHILD MYSELF…. IT’S A HEART TOUCHING STORY THAT HIT HOME TO THE PEOPLE SUCH AS ME, WHO HAD FAMILY MEMBERS WHO LIVED SIMILAR LIVES AS THE PEOPLE DIPICTIED IN THIS FILM. PLUS GOT TO SAY THE CAST IS AMAZING ESPECIALLY KURT RUSSELL AND MELISSA GILBERT.