Catholic Politician-Turned-Producer Teams with Author Max Lucado to Put Focus on Advent this Holiday Season

Tom Allen sends this along.

October 4, 2012 – Dallas, TX – Former U.S. Senator and Presidential candidate Rick Santorum is preparing to release his first major movie, THE CHRISTMAS CANDLE, a traditional Christmas story that restores the observance of Advent as well as the holiness and beauty of the Christmas season. The heartwarming family film opens in theaters nationwide on Friday, Nov. 22, 2013.

“It’s remarkable that we’ve gotten to the point where putting a traditional Christmas movie in theaters at Christmastime is a major event, but here we are!” Santorum remarked. “It’s a great blessing to be able to change the narrative after so many years of attacks on Christmas in our culture. Rather than cursing the darkness, we chose to light a candle.”

Produced by Tom Newman of Tulsa-based Impact Productions (Home Run, End of the Spear) and distributed by Santorum’s Dallas-based EchoLight Studios, THE CHRISTMAS CANDLE is based on a book by beloved Christian author Max Lucado and introduces the acting debut of British singing sensation Susan Boyle alongside an ensemble cast of beloved Hollywood talent.

With the themes of Advent woven into its narrative, the story takes place deep in the heart of the English countryside in the enchanting village of Gladbury. Legend has it every 25 years an angel visits the village candle maker and touches a single candle. Whoever lights the Christmas Candle receives a miracle on Christmas Eve. But in 1890, at the dawn of the electric age, this centuries-old legend may be forced to come to an end.

“We placed great emphasis on the quality of the production, filming at a village in the English Cotswolds for authenticity and emphasizing period costumes and props for realism,” explained Newman. “Many of the cast, while seasoned veterans of the stage and film, found themselves touched by this lovely story and script full of hope and the true spirit of Christmas.”

Directed by John Stephenson, THE CHRISTMAS CANDLE stars Hans Matheson (Clash of the Titans, Sherlock Holmes), Samantha Barks (Les Miserables), Lesley Manville (Disney’s A Christmas Carol), Sylvester McCoy (The Hobbit Trilogy, Doctor Who), John Hannah (The Mummy, Four Weddings and a Funeral), Barbara Flynn (Miss Potter) and James Cosmo (Game of Thrones, Braveheart).

For more information visit www.TheChristmasCandleMovie.com.

I’m a sucker for Christmas movies.