That Christmas (2024)
Directed by: Simon Otto
Premise: An animated film. The residents of a British town are snowed in on Christmas. Various groups of people cope with the weather and have unconventional holiday celebrations.
What Works: That Christmas is based on books by Richard Curtis who is also known for films such as Pirate Radio, Notting Hill, and the popular holiday movie Love Actually. Curtis has a knack for creating funny and heartwarming stories with engaging and likable characters and That Christmas shares those qualities. The story is divided between a few different subplots. A boy is left home alone while his mom works over the holidays, a group of children gather on Christmas when their parents are stranded in the snow, and a girl frets over her disobedient sister. Each story is unique and well told and they dovetail together in the end in a satisfying way. Holiday stories tend to be saccharine and That Christmas has its share of sentimentality but there are some real moments between the characters, especially in the triangular relationship between a single mom, her son, and their widowed neighbor. That Christmas includes Santa Claus as an omniscient narrator and he briefly enters into the action on Christmas Eve, delivering toys to the children who are without their parents. Voiceover is often superfluous but Santa’s narration adds value to the story in part because of Brian Cox’s spirited performance as Saint Nick.
What Doesn’t: Like many other Richard Curtis stories, That Christmas is upbeat and conflict avoidant. It’s all very pleasant but stories are about characters overcoming obstacles; the more concrete and difficult those obstacles are, the better the drama. The conflicts of That Christmas are mostly internal, as characters confront anxiety and other vague fears. There’s a reluctance to put much at stake and conflicts are resolved quickly. The disappearance of a small child at the end of the film feels tagged on to generate last minute drama.
Disc extras: Available on Netflix.
Bottom Line: That Christmas is an enjoyably wholesome holiday movie. Perhaps a little too light for its own good, but That Christmas is a nice and family friendly companion piece to Love Actually.
Episode: #1028 (December 22, 2024)