A young shepherd named Lucas is tragically blinded in a lightning storm. Taken in by some nuns, Lucas handles his misfortune amazingly well. As the nuns prepare to stage their annual nativity play, they announce that Lucas will be playing the part of an angel. Despite rumblings of disapproval from other children, rehearsals proceed as planned.
Sister Theresa (Angela Lansbury), the nun who originally found Lucas, regales the boy with tales of her own childhood and how it would snow each Christmas. Therefore, it comes as no surprise when Lucas expresses a wish for a white Christmas. In the midst of this, Sister Theresa is fighting to keep Lucas at the convent, while many others believe he’d be better off in an orphanage. Naturally, Lucas ends up learning the true meaning of Christmas before all is said and done.
Having not seen any other DVD version of The First Christmas, I don’t have anything to compare this release to, but the audio-visual presentation here is so lacking I’m surprised the word remastered is used on the front cover. The print looks its age. Colors are washed out and detail is adequate. However, frequent instances of dirt and the scratches are prevalent throughout. While the audio is clear, the track provides no real punch.
If you’re expecting a bevy of special features, forget it. An eight-minute guide on making Christmas cards is all that makes up this so-called “Deluxe Edition.”
