This is a Russian-made musical film based on one of the so-called Christmas novels written by Charles Dickens. John Peerybingle, a mail carrier, lives with his wife, their baby, their nanny, and a mysterious lodger. A cricket constantly chirps on the hearth and acts as a guardian angel to the family. The life of the Peerybingles intersects with the life of the family of a poor toymaker...The storyline is simple, with a surprise ending, which is somewhat of a Christmas miracle. The film is sentimental and homey, which makes it a good choice for the whole family to watch together around Christmas.
Made in Russia in 2001. Directed by Leonid Nechaev. Starring Mila Kolesnikova, Albert Filozov, Evgeniy Sidikhin, Boris Plotnikov. Runtime: 107 minutes. Sound: Dolby Digital.
Audio track: Russian. Subtitles: English.
Format: NTSC. Plays on a regular American DVD player.
