http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/29/movies/holiday-movie-or-music-video.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=0

Angels Sing (2013)
Holiday Movie or Music Video?

By NEIL GENZLINGER
Published: November 28, 2013

“Angels Sing” is a music video disguised as a holiday movie, populated by musicians disguised as actors. It’s as thinly written and unoriginal as made-for-television seasonal filler, and why it isn’t on the Hallmark Channel or Lifetime is a mystery, but fans of the singers in it might get a kick out of seeing them.

Chief among those singers is Harry Connick Jr. He plays Michael, the obligatory grump who refuses to get into the spirit of Christmas. A traumatic incident from childhood has left him unfestive during the holiday season, which, when he moves his family into a new house, is unacceptable to the neighbors (among them, Lyle Lovett). See, they have a tradition of decking their street in Austin, Tex., in a lighting display excessive enough to be visible from Mars.

It takes all the resources of Willie Nelson (playing a peculiar character named Nick) and Kris Kristofferson (as Michael’s father) to inject the brooding fellow with the Christmas spirit, which, as is usual for such movies, has nothing to do with the Christian holiday and everything to do with decorations and vague bromides about family.

Less-well-known musicians from the Austin scene, like Dale Watson, turn up in all sorts of small roles, and, as things move along, the movie becomes less a story and more an excuse for them to sing. That’s the part worth watching.

“Angels Sing” is rated PG (Parental guidance suggested) because sometimes it takes heartache to make grumps put up their Christmas lights.