Angel in the House

Alex and Zoey, a young married couple, are struggling to conceive another child after the tragic death of their five year old son in a traffic accident.  Two years have gone by with no luck.  In an effort to fill the void left behind by their son, they explore taking care of a foster child.

As they wander through a large foster care facility filled with children looking for a family, Zoey is surprised to see a smiling young seven year old boy wearing a suit and tie and sporting a stylish hat.  They smile and make eye contact but don’t get the chance to meet.

After being told the approval process for foster parents is long and detailed, they return home.  Soon after, the seven year old boy wearing a suit, tie, and hat, Eli, appears on their doorstep with foster paperwork in hand.  Zoey is shocked to see the young boy without an adult and without any advanced notice.  Eli explains their application had been fast-tracked.  When Zoey and Alec return to the foster care facility to make certain everything is in order, they find the director being rushed to the hospital.  They find someone else to check over the paperwork and are told it contains the director’s signature and therefore should be properly executed.

Zoey and Alec settle into parenting Eli and discover him to be a precocious and extraordinarily talented young child.  Eli, along with the occasional help of a mysterious homeless man named Mr. Potts, guides Zoey and Alec back toward the love they had for each other before their son died.  In addition, Eli is instrumental in helping Alec rejuvenate his dying toy business.

In the end, on Christmas morning, Zoey reveals to Alec she is pregnant.  When they go to Eli’s room to share the news, they find him gone with a note left on his bed.  The note, along with the fact that the foster care facility had no record of Eli ever being in their care, points to the obvious conclusion that Eli was an angel sent to rescue Zoey and Alec.

This is a British film with beautiful production design and cinematography making every scene picture perfect.  The acting, directing, and music are all top notch.  It’s a delightfully playful story that will play well to the whole family (there is one use of the “S” word which is immediately apologized for).  There is also a good deal of wine drinking that may need some explanation for younger viewers.  The discussions of God and angels are only in passing and there is no overt Christian theme.  Overall, this is a fanciful story that will leave plenty of room for family discussions to fill in the details regarding how God may be working through angels.

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