All the Time in the World (2016)

3 Stars (out of 4)

Winter Break

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

When her family decided to spend nine months in a cabin in the Yukon, filmmaker Suzanne Crocker brought her camera, and the result is a quietly revealing story about a family's quality time together. (See the movie's official page for more info.)

The Crocker family, dad Gerard, mom Suzanne, son Sam (age 10), and daughters Kate (age 8) and Tess (age 4), plus a dog and two cats, decide that they never have enough time together, and so they decide to spend nine months in the Yukon in Canada, living in a cabin, with no timepieces to speak of. They make candy and decorations for Halloween, make gifts for Christmas, and spend lots of time preparing food, reading, playing, and being creative.

In addition, wood must be cut, and water and food must be gathered. Gerard injures his finger, and gets lost when his snowmobile breaks down, and a bear invades the camp, but mostly the family loves their time together. When spring comes, they find they're reluctant to leave.

Anticipating that the three kids would grow bored and begin fighting, the Crockers are surprised when the family thrives, becoming more and more creative, and spending more time together, reading, making food, sleeping, and playing.

Holidays are shown as times of giving, without the need of buying things. Even the hardships and moments of bad luck are handled smoothly and gracefully, adding to the movie's overall gentle tone. It helps that the outdoor cinematography is always gorgeous and peaceful, especially things like icicles hanging from the branches of a homemade fort, and the family pets exploring their surroundings. Apart from some mildly upsetting scenes, this should be good viewing — and provide good discussions — for families.