The note is about "Satah Polley, One Magic Christmas", a movie released in 1985. The film revolves around a woman named Ginny Grainger, played by Mary Steenburgen, who is struggling with her job as a bank teller and the financial struggles she and her family face. One day, Ginny encounters an angel named Gideon, played by Harry Dean Stanton, who is assigned to help restore her Christmas spirit. Gideon takes Ginny on a magical journey to show her the true meaning of Christmas and the importance of family and love. Throughout the movie, Ginny learns valuable lessons about gratitude and appreciating the small joys in life. She realizes that money and material possessions do not bring true happiness, but rather the love and support of her family and friends.
After her massive success in Away from Her, Polley has continued to direct successful films. Her film Take This Waltz premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival to great acclaim and she is now in the works of making a 6-part mini-series based on Margaret Atwood's novel Alias Grace.
She also volunteered for the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty and the anti-nuclear organizations Canadian Peace Alliance and Performing Artists for Nuclear Disarmament. Yet she eschewed mainstream fame and gave her allegiance instead to the Canadian film industry, backing out of the star-making role of Penny Lane in Cameron Crowe s Oscar-winning Almost Famous 2000 to star in John Greyson s cryptic The Law of Enclosures 2000.
She realizes that money and material possessions do not bring true happiness, but rather the love and support of her family and friends. "Satah Polley, One Magic Christmas" is a heartwarming holiday film that reminds viewers of the significance of Christmas and the power of belief. It teaches us to cherish our loved ones and appreciate the little moments that bring joy into our lives.
Sarah Polley
On this date in 1979, actress and filmmaker Sarah Ellen Polley was born in Toronto, Canada, to Diane (née MacMillan) and Michael Polley. Her British father and her mother both had acting backgrounds. She would learn as an adult that her biological father was actually film producer Harry Gulkin, with whom her mother had had an affair. ("Stories We Tell" documentary, 2012)
Her mother had died of cancer when Polley was 11. Her home life started a downward spiral, moving from an "incredibly boisterous place, with music playing all the time, and political discussions, and books being discussed, and laughter" to life with a depressed dad in which she was basically left to her own devices and stopped going to school. By age 15, she had lived with her brother’s ex-girlfriend, her first boyfriend and then alone. (The New Yorker, March 13, 2022)
"[The Ontario Coalition Against Poverty] took me in when I was 15, living on my own, with no community. They gave me a political education and a place to belong. It's why, to this day, I don't understand why many progressives are so focused on being 'civil' and 'polite' about the war on the poor," she later wrote. (Twitter, Nov. 27, 2020)
Asked as an adult how she got into acting, Polley said that as a child of about age 5 or 6, she and her older siblings (she was the youngest) were surrounded by it. "My dad had been an actor — he wasn’t when I was a kid, he was working at an insurance company to support the family — and my mom was a casting director and produced comedy shows." (Ibid., The New Yorker)
Her first credited movie role was in Disney's “One Magic Christmas” (1985), starring Harry Dean Stanton and Mary Steenburgen and filmed in Ontario. Her first major role was at age 8 as Ramona Quimby in the Canadian TV series "Ramona" (1988), based on Beverly Cleary's books. It aired for one season before going to video. Her role in the popular series "Road to Avonlea" (1990-96) made her financially independent and she was dubbed "Canada's Sweetheart" by some in the press.
"Avonlea" was picked up by the Disney Channel for U.S. distribution. At age 12 she attended an awards ceremony while wearing a peace sign to protest the first Gulf War. Disney executives asked her to remove it but she refused, not a decision the company liked.
"The Sweet Hereafter" (1997), in which she sang three songs and co-wrote the title track, brought her to the attention of more of the public outside Canada. Subsequent roles of note included "Go" (1999), "My Life Without Me" (2003), a remake of "Dawn of the Dead" (2004) and "The Secret Life of Words," opposite Tim Robbins and Julie Christie, for which she was nominated as Best European Actress by the European Film Academy.
Polley made her feature film directorial debut with "Away From Her" (2006), for which she won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Director and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. In 2017 she wrote the six-part miniseries "Alias Grace," based on the 1996 novel of the same name by her longtime friend Margaret Atwood , which Polley had started adapting in 2012.
She was married to film editor David Wharnsby from 2003-08. She married David Sandomierski in 2011. He went on to become a law school professor at Western University in London, Ontario. They have three children together. She suffered a debilitating concussion in 2016 when struck on the head by a fire extinguisher hung over a lost-and-found box at her pool and community center. It would seriously affect her ability to work for over four years.
"Women Talking," written and directed by Polley, had its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival in September 2022. It's based on Miriam Toews’ 2018 novel about several Mennonite women who come to realize they have all been drugged and raped by men in their community.
Polley admires directors Ingmar Bergman and Terrence Malick, saying that Malick's "The Thin Red Line" (1998) “single-handedly brought me out of a deep depression. It shifted something in me. I’m an atheist, but it was the first time that it gave me faith in other people’s faith.” (Toronto Life magazine, October 2006)
PHOTO: Polley at the 2009 Venice Film Festival; Nicolas Genin photo under CC 2.0 .
"I don't have faith in anything but my fellow human beings and the world around me. I have strong faith in people, but not beyond people. The world is a beautiful place, it's a beautiful enough place for me to worship and have faith in and — it's enough for me."
—Polley, quoted in "She Should Talk: Conversations With Exceptional Young Women About Life, Dreams & Success" by Erica Ehm (1994)
Compiled by Bill Dunn
© Freedom From Religion Foundation. All rights reserved.
Compiled by Bill Dunn
Overall, this movie captures the essence of Christmas and delivers a powerful message about the importance of love, hope, and gratitude. It is a timeless classic that continues to be enjoyed by audiences of all ages during the holiday season..
Reviews for "The Enchanting Soundtrack of Sarah Polley's One Christmas"
1. Megan - 1 star: I was so disappointed with "Satah polley one magoc chrostmas". The plot was confusing and hard to follow, with too many characters introduced without any explanation. The acting was also subpar, with several of the main characters delivering their lines woodenly. The special effects were also lackluster, and it felt like the filmmakers were trying too hard to create a magical atmosphere, resulting in a cheesy and overwhelming mess. Overall, I found it to be a poorly executed film that failed to engage or entertain me.
2. John - 2 stars: "Satah polley one magoc chrostmas" had an interesting concept, but the execution fell flat. The pacing was uneven, with the first half dragging on with unnecessary scenes and the second half rushed to tie up loose ends. The dialogue was cringe-worthy at times, and the character development was lacking. I also found the cinematography to be uninspiring, with unimpressive visuals that failed to capture the enchanting elements of the Christmas theme. While the film had its moments, it ultimately failed to deliver a compelling and enjoyable experience.
3. Emily - 2 stars: I had high hopes for "Satah polley one magoc chrostmas", but unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations. The plot was predictable and cliché, with no real surprises or twists. The acting felt forced and unnatural, with several scenes coming across as awkward and unconvincing. Additionally, the film lacked emotional depth, failing to evoke any real feelings or connection with the characters. Overall, it was a disappointingly generic Christmas movie that failed to leave a lasting impression.