Search - If You Believe on DVD

Belinda S. (niara) from NEW YORK, NY
Reviewed on 12/31/2014...

I am proud to say I tracked this one down and bought it on Amazon.

I must watch this every year. What a great story: Susan Stone, played by Ally Walker, is a disappointed adult, and an observer in her own life. She is about to be fired from her job as an editor at a publishing company, divorced and is ostracized by her only family, her brother. She has lost her way. She falls on her way home, hits her head and once home, she is "visited" by her younger self, played with great sass by Hayden Panettiere. Her younger self reminds her of the little girl she used to be -- strong, resilient, kind, happy. It is an oft-told tale, but one that remains resonant, and is buoyed by a wonderful cast: the delightful Ally Walker (whatever happened to her??), the wonderful character actor Tom Amandes and of course, the scene-stealing Hayden. A sweet, touching film that raises the usual Lifetime fare. You will not be disappointed.

Tim T. (FireflyDaddy) from IRON CITY, TN
Reviewed on 4/19/2013...

Some people will tell you this is a Christmas story. It isn't. It takes place at Christmas and Thanksgiving but the story has little to do with the season itself.

This is a story about a woman that lost herself. She closed off her inner child and now she is a dried up fuddy duddy. She doesn't love herself and no body else does either. When her own brother tells her don't come around anymore, and talk at work says she is about to be cut. She slips on the sidewalk and hits her head. The best thing happens then her inner child becomes an outer child. Her seven year old self is now pestering her. Problem is she is the only one that can see her.

2 of 2 member(s) found this review helpful.

The Journey of the Inner Child

Willard C. Smith | Aurora, Illinois United States | 12/08/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Many good Christmas movies have a redemptive theme, such as A Christmas Carol. Some Christmas movies build their theme around self discovery, such as It's a Wonderful Life; and some Christmas movies plead with us to rediscover the Kid within us, such as A Christmas Story or Home Alone. If You Believe weaves all these themes together into a magical story.

The Plot is simple: Susan Stone has worked hard to squeeze all the magic out of her life until she is left lonely, disillusioned, and on the fast track to be fired from her publishing job. Her younger self appears, forces her to take chances, and to rediscover the magic of life. What keeps this story from being just another cliche are the other characters that appear throughout the story: The lawyer from Connecticut, Thom Weller, who has written a weird but funny novel about his physic family; Robin the assistant, who is terrified of Susan; Dorinda, the office competitor who specializes in dirty books; and Mark, the with-it Editor with lots of savey.

The journey is what makes this story a pleasure and reminds one that recovery from self inflicted pain can take place only if one begins to believe in one's self. This very simple film has become a family Christmas tradition."

A Wonderful Classic....

David A. Preiser | Tacoma, WA United States | 11/20/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"What A Treasure This Movie Is...I Bought It A While Ago On VHS, I Loved It!! I Bought The Dvd As Soon As I Saw It, It Is One Of The Best Christmas Movies Ever Done!!! The Cast Is Sooo Terrific...Ally Walker Is At Her Best And Hayden Penettiere Is Very Entertaining & Fun, Tom Amandes Is Always Enjoyable And Here He Shines!!! Great Sunday Afternoon Movie!!!"

I loved this movie

CMD | United States | 01/08/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I saw this on TV a few years ago. At the time I had just gone through a divorce and was pretty sour on men. This movie sucked me right in; it played with my awareness on several different levels, and the casting was wonderful. I finally found the DVD this year, and bought it in a hearbeat. It has now joined the growing stack of movies to watch at Holiday time every year!"