Actresses share dramatic gifts

Two early Christmas presents arrive this weekend, as Vanessa Redgrave and Mary Tyler Moore deliver touching performances in holiday movies premiering Sunday night. Both play feisty old dames who could easily have become crotchety cliches in lesser hands.

In “Miss Lettie and Me,” airing at 8 p.m., 10 p.m. and midnight on TNT, Moore’s hardened Georgia farm owner slowly learns to love again when her grandniece arrives for an extended unscheduled stay. In “The Locket,” airing at 9 p.m. on CBS, Redgrave’s lonely, ornery patient at a senior health facility helps a troubled caretaker seize a second chance at romance.

A cynic might call this a battle of the corporate sponsors: “Miss Lettie and Me” is the second Johnson & Johnson Special Presentation (after this summer’s “Door to Door”) while “The Locket” is No. 214 in the venerable Hallmark Hall of Fame series. In the truer holiday spirit, these films share an underlying message: Embrace love and forgiveness; let go of fear.

“Miss Lettie and Me,” which was directed by Ian Barry and adapted by Dalene Young from a Katherine Paterson short story, is the lesser movie, marred by an obvious plot and an overly chipper performance from child co-star Holliston Coleman. But Moore can still, as the song says, take a nothing day and suddenly make it all seem worthwhile. Her nuanced transformation is as pleasing as it is predictable.

Moore’s character, Lettie Anderson, lives alone with only her wounded pride, her farmhand Isaiah Griffin (Charlie Robinson from “Night Court”) and occasional visits from her mah-jongg club to keep her company. Lettie was devastated when the niece she raised as a daughter left town, and vowed never to let her herself get hurt again.

Her quiet existence is disrupted during the holiday season when her 9-year-old grandniece, Travis (Coleman), arrives unannounced at her doorstep. Lettie and her niece have been estranged for so long, she didn’t know Travis existed.

The bitter Lettie shuns Travis, leaving the girl to spend time with Isaiah and his aging mom (a radiant Irma P. Hall). Ultimately, with the help of Lettie’s old flame, Samuel Madison (Burt Reynolds at his mellow best), Travis teaches Lettie to open her heart again -- just in time for Christmas.

In “The Locket,” directed by Karen Arthur and adapted by Ron Raley from Richard Paul Evans’ 1998 bestseller, the older character does most of the teaching.

As the story opens, Michael Keddington (Chad Willett), who dropped out of college to care for his mother, is suddenly at a crossroads. He yearns to return to school but, after his mother dies, he must pay off her hospital bills, so he takes a job at a health-care facility run by Helen Staples (Mary McDonnell). That’s where he meets Esther Huish (Redgrave), the wise if cantankerous widow who gradually opens up to Michael.

Michael, whose alcoholic father abandoned the family years ago, has a devoted girlfriend, Faye (Marguerite Moreau), but he feels unworthy of her, especially after Faye’s father schemes to break them apart. Michael’s life is further complicated when a jealous co-worker falsely accuses him of a crime.

Esther, who sees parallels in Michael’s life to the thwarted love in her own past, implores him to follow his heart. Her holiday gift to Michael of a locket -- symbolic of one person’s missed opportunities -- comes to represent his second chance.

Arthur’s subtle storytelling style and Redgrave’s invigorating performance elevate this story.

As Michael takes Esther to visit Thomas, the old beau she has been waiting half a century to see, she hands the young man her walking cane in a moment of rejuvenation. The scene later takes a bittersweet and awkwardly lifelike turn when Thomas’ early dementia creates an unexpected distance.

At that moment, she and Michael are reminded of how quickly life can pass.

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TV movies

What: “Miss Lettie and Me”

When: Sunday at 8 p.m., 10 p.m. and midnight,TNT

Rating: TV-G (suitable for all ages)

What: “The Locket”

When: Sunday at 9 p.m., CBS

Rating: TV-PG (may be unsuitable for young children)