When Christmas Eve finds divorced loser Lefty (Stephen Baldwin), his mother (K Callan) and a handful of strangers at their wits end, a series of seemingly random meetings that night changes their lives forever. Directed by Dallas Jenkins from a story by his dad, Jerry (co-writer of the Left Behind series), this multi-narrative starts out glumly and grimly but finishes as an uplifting reaffirmation of faith and family values. Cynics might object to the film’s plot contrivances, which neatly tie up certain plot threads, but Midnight Clear is acted and directed with obvious sincerity.

Shelf Talk: With its DVD release in December, Midnight Clear can’t help but benefit from exposure during the holiday season and obvious comparisons to other Christmas family dramas that find downtrodden protagonists triumphing in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles. The film obviously was made with an eye to the Christian market, although the religious content is kept under wraps until the third act. This constituency will respond favorably to Midnight Clear, which is occasionally intense but basically family-friendly.