Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- warm
- witty
- sincere
- christmas viewing
- family movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly found the ensemble performances and depiction of family dynamics appealing, while considering the holiday formula overstuffed and clichéd.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Lisa, Quentin Jr., Claude, Kelli, Mel, and Michael each bring distinct problems into the Whitfield Christmas reunion.
The Whitfield family's shared history, church life, music traditions, and Christmas rituals anchor the drama.
The family's annual Christmas convergence forces hidden resentments, romantic complications, and disagreements over the dry-cleaning business into the open.
Lisa advocates selling Ma'Dere's struggling dry-cleaning business while her siblings weigh their shared inheritance and family history.
Films like This Christmas, and why
The Family Stone
ensemble family tensions, holiday gathering, warm comedy-drama, and reconciliation
Soul Food
african american family dynamics, comic conflict, romance, and emotionally charged gatherings
Almost Christmas
home-for-the-holidays structure, extended-family friction, romantic subplots, and heartfelt resolution
The Best Man Holiday
large family ensemble, domestic comedy, relationship conflicts, and celebratory warmth
Movie Details
- Director
- Preston A. Whitmore II
- Release Date
- 2007-11-27
- Runtime
- 117 min
- Rating
- 6.6 / 10 (148)
Cast
- Delroy Lindo
- Idris Elba
- Loretta Devine
- Chris Brown
- Keith D. Robinson
- Laz Alonso
- Columbus Short
- Sharon Leal
- Lauren London
- Lupe Ontiveros
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Qello Concerts by Stingray Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand, Plex
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is This Christmas about?
- A sprawling Los Angeles family reunites for Christmas, where buried resentments, romantic complications, and a struggling family business test the bonds holding them together.
- What is This Christmas like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of This Christmas as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is This Christmas violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in This Christmas as mild.
- What did critics think of This Christmas?
- Critics broadly found the ensemble performances and depiction of family dynamics appealing, while considering the holiday formula overstuffed and clichéd.
- Which films are like This Christmas?
- Films with a similar feel include The Family Stone, Soul Food, Almost Christmas, and The Best Man Holiday.
- How long is This Christmas?
- This Christmas runs 117 minutes.
- Where can I watch This Christmas?
- In United States, This Christmas streams on Qello Concerts by Stingray Amazon Channel.
