ORIGINAL TITLEThis Christmas
GENREComedy-drama · Family · Holiday
ABOUT THIS FILM
RUNTIME
118 min
FAMOUS QUOTE
“Well, ho, ho, ho!”
Vibe
family-reunionBlack-cinemasoulfulwarmensemblemusic-drivendomesticromanticcomicheartfelt
The Whitfield family reunites in Los Angeles for Christmas after years apart; secrets about relationships, money, military service and ambition surface inside the crowded family home. Ensemble family reunion; black family life; music and domestic ritual; christmas as the pressure that makes long-hidden problems visible.
MOVIE NIGHT RANK
#51 of 100
Watch for
- the intersecting sibling storylines
- Loretta Devine and Delroy Lindo as stabilizing adult presences
- music and performance inside the household
- the final dance as earned release after conflict
Production notes
AFI identifies Rainforest Films, Sony Pictures Releasing, Whitmore as director/writer/producer with Will Packer, and Marcus Miller as composer.
Trivia
- Whitmore wrote and directed the film
- AFI lists a 2007 release
- Rainforest Films produced
- Sony distributed through Screen Gems
- AFI records about 118 minutes
Legacy
durable Black family Christmas favorite; recurring seasonal viewing; important mainstream representation without reducing the family to a single issue.