Film Review: The Christmas Candle
Progressive young minister David Richmond (Hans Matheson) arrives in the sleepy village of Gladbury, nestled deep in the English countryside.
He learns of a local legend which states that every 25 years, an angel descends on Gladbury and blesses one of the candles in the shop run by candlemaker Edward Haddington (Sylvester McCoy) and his wife Bea (Lesley Manville).
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Hide AdWhoever lights this candle and says a prayer will be granted a Christmas wish. David doesn’t believe the myth and he encourages his congregation to abandon their reliance on the candle for miracles and to perform small acts of kindness of their own free will.
The modernisation of Gladbury gives church warden Herbert Hopewell (James Cosmo) and his wife Eleanor (Boyle) cause for grave concern.
However, it does pique the interest of religious sceptic Emily Barstow (Samantha Barks), who is drawn to David at the very moment that the minister’s mission is thrown into jeopardy by the disappearance of the supposedly anointed candle.