| Based On: | The Christmas Shoes novel by Donna VanLiere |
| Director: | Andy Wolk |
| Starring: | Rob Lowe Kimberly Williams |
| Music: | Lawrence Shragge |
| Country: | United States Canada |
| Language: | English |
| Executive Producer: | Beth Grossbard Craig Anderson |
| Producer: | Michael Mahoney |
| Editor: | Drake Silliman |
| Cinematography: | John Berrie |
| Runtime: | 94 minutes |
| Company: | Beth Grossbard Productions Craig Anderson Productions FremantleMedia North America |
| Network: | CBS |
| Related: | The Christmas Blessing |
The Christmas Shoes is a 2002 American-Canadian made-for-television drama film based on the song and novel of the same name which was broadcast on CBS on December 1, 2002. It was shot in Halifax, Nova Scotia.[1] It is the first part in a trilogy of films, followed by The Christmas Blessing (2005) and The Christmas Hope (2009).
Attorney Robert Layton visits a local cemetery before Christmas. He sees a younger man wearing a Boston Red Sox cap visiting a grave.
Years earlier, in the days leading up to Christmas, workaholic Robert sees a pair of red shoes has fallen out of a delivery truck. He returns the shoes to a store owned by Tom Wilson. When Robert's car fails to start, Tom tells him about a repair shop owned by Jack Andrews, whose wife Maggie has congestive heart failure and needs a transplant. Robert's wife Kate takes over Maggie's volunteer job directing the local Christmas school choir.
Nathan, Jack and Maggie's young son, overhears Maggie telling Kate that she and Jack would go dancing on their anniversary. Nathan goes to Wilson's store and finds the red shoes Robert returned and saves money to buy the shoes by collecting empty cans. Nathan opens up about Maggie's story to his teacher Dalton Gregory, a neighbor of Robert's mother Ellen who consoles him. Ellen gives Nathan her son's old Red Sox cap. Ellen writes a note and puts it in Robert's childhood lunch box.
Maggie does not receive a heart transplant. Ellen sees Dalton loading bags of cans into his car and says she is going to leave the Christmas lights on for a while. When the lights are still on the next morning, Dalton discovers that Ellen has died. Dalton tells Nathan that his wife died eleven years ago. He tells Nathan to cross over to an alley, where Nathan finds the cans.
On Christmas Eve, Nathan runs to Wilson's Department Store and Robert is late going to Tom's. They convince the store clerk to open the door. Nathan wants to buy the shoes, but the clerk tells him he does not have enough money. Nathan explains that he wants the shoes for his mom, so that she will be beautiful in heaven. Robert pays for the shoes. Overjoyed, Nathan runs home.
Robert leaves the store without the gifts. Unable to start his car, he asks Tom for a ride. Nathan gives Maggie the shoes. Robert and Tom arrive at the new location for the Christmas concert and discover that Kate, as well as her and Robert's daughter Lily, are caroling for Maggie. Robert and Kate reconcile. The family sees the light go off in Maggie's room. Robert sees the package his mother Ellen had sent and reads the note inside.
Back in the present, Robert tells the younger man that he likes his Red Sox cap. After the younger man leaves, Robert sees the red shoes on the grave. He realizes the younger man is a now-grown Nathan and calls after him, but Nathan has driven off. Robert smiles.