Worthy list of Christmas movies

As is usual this time of year, we are being inundated with Christmas-themed movies of all stripes on television. What has been a bit unusual, however, is the crop of new pictures popping up — among them, one filmed in Utah.

Prolific local filmmaker Craig Clyde's "A Christmas Wish" has been airing on the Hallmark Channel but it's also now on DVD (eOne, 2011, $14.99).

Shot in and around Mapleton, the film stars Kristy Swanson in the story of a mother abandoned by her husband, which leaves her with two daughters, a stepson and feelings of desperation. So she hits the road to find work, landing in a rural area where "angels" in the form of new neighbors help her find her way.

Clyde has written a sweet script with some clever dialogue and his direction has elicited performances that are much better than is typical of TV movies. And it's especially nice to see veterans Edward Herrmann and Tess Harper, along with a bevy of familiar local actors (including the filmmaker's son K.C. Clyde).

He's also made good use of outdoor locations (and real snow!) to evoke a sense of community in a small-town environment.

And one more thing that makes "A Christmas Wish" stand out from the crowd is that it's not afraid to invoke the birth of Jesus or the power of prayer, which far too many holiday films shy away from these days.

Another newly released TV movie is "The Gathering" (Warner, 1977, $14.96), an Emmy-winning drama about an aging businessman (Edward Asner) who walked out on his family some years earlier.

Having learned he has only a short time to live, and with the help of his ex-wife (Maureen Stapleton), he attempts to gather his estranged adult children for one last Christmas together.

The story of a workaholic dad who has pushed his kids away has been done to death now — but in 1977 it wasn't such a worn-out plot. Asner and Stapleton are brilliant in their roles and the film is sentimental without being mawkish.

For me, it's just nice to be able to recommend a couple of movies that haven't worn out their Christmastime welcome.

As you might expect, I receive a lot of requests for Christmas-movie suggestions each year at this time — but in truth most people are aware of the usual suspects as they rotate on various TV channels and fill up online streaming sites.