Love of holiday movies inspires woman to write book

Carol Foote loves Christmas movies.

"It's a Wonderful Life," "Miracle on 34th Street" and other holiday classics -- she's watched them over and over since she was a child.

It's a Thanksgiving tradition in her family to view "White Christmas" one more time after the turkey is eaten.

But the Naperville author of "A Reel Meaning for Christmas: Finding Yourself in the Classic Christmas Films" never planned to write about holiday movies -- or write a book at all, actually.

Her work, which Foote will sign in events at Barnes & Noble stores in Wheaton and Naperville, asks women readers to take a "screen test" to identify their personality traits. Then she matches the traits with those of females in favorite holiday films and presents Scripture related to the qualities exemplified in the characters.

"I never set out in my adult life to do this," she said.

As Foote tells it, the inspiration for the book started five or six years ago when she was taking a spiritual gifts course at Calvary Church in Naperville, where she attends services.

The class helped her identify her gifts, which she decided were evangelism, encouragement and helping others.

Class participants also named the group of people with whom they wanted to work. Foote wanted to encourage women who were her peers.

"I don't think women get enough affirmation," she said.

But she had a tougher time figuring out what her passion was, so she asked her husband, Tom, what he thought.

"I thought his answer was sweet," she said. "He said, 'Well, it would have to be something with Christmas.' "

The idea for the book was born.

"I realized I knew some of these Christmas movies like the back of my hand and I would like for other women to know them," she said.

Her theme didn't surprise her sister, Barbara Collins of Wheaton, with whom she shares her love of Christmas movies.

"Not only has she always loved the holiday movies, she was always into the characterization of everyone," Collins said.

Collins remembers her sister as a girl saying she understood why someone acted the way they did because they were like a particular character in one of her favorite films.

Actually, those are the sorts of connections Foote draws in her book. She describes Mary Bailey in "It's a Wonderful Life" as the "quintessential friend" -- warm, friendly, likable, diplomatic and easy to be around.

Foote's characterizations are based on more than her own interpretations. She obtained permission to use a real personality test in the "screen test" her readers take and applied it to her fictional characters.

With the book meant to be interactive, Foote encourages readers to consider holding a movie exchange instead of a cookie exchange. At the gathering, participants show clips from their favorite holiday films, take the screen test and create a craft memory of the evening to take home.

"People have described it to me as a non-threatening way to share their faith," she said.

Maybe it's not surprising that Foote herself identifies most with Elizabeth Lane in "Christmas in Connecticut." Lane is a magazine writer whose home column forces her in a position of having to play hostess on a Connecticut farm to holiday guests. In reality, Elizabeth is a single woman living in New York who has no idea how to keep house or cook.

But it's not Elizabeth's double life or profession as a writer with which Foote, a married mother of two with a career as a speech and language pathologist, identifies.

She spent a few years working on this project because she was determined to find her spiritual gifts and use them to help others.

"She (Elizabeth) has got a line in there that says, 'It's very important to keep promises, especially to yourself,' " Foote said. "She keeps promises and it's her calling to help other people."

Foote's book is available at Barnes & Noble in Wheaton and Naperville, John's Christian Store in Naperville, Anderson's Bookshop in Naperville, Naperville Religious Goods and at Wheaton and Elmhurst colleges.

It also may be ordered online at barnesandnoble.com, amazon.com, christianbooks.com, winepressgroup.com or by e-mailing Foote at cjf614@sbcglobal.net.

If you go

What: Naperville author Carol Foote signs her book, "A Reel Meaning for Christmas: Finding Yourself in the Classic Christmas Films"

Wheaton: Noon Saturday at Barnes & Noble, 351 Town Square

Naperville: 7 p.m. Dec. 6 at Barnes & Noble, 47 E. Chicago Ave.