Watch or Pass? That Christmas Movie Review
One of my favorite activities during the holidays is watching Christmas movies with my Mom. We both love The Hallmark Channel as well as Christmas in general, so it’s an activity that we can both enjoy. So this year, when I went over to my Mom’s house to help her bake Christmas cookies (my job was scooping the dough onto the trays!) we picked out a new movie to watch together. In today’s blog post, I’ll be sharing my full That Christmas movie review.
That Christmas is a movie that popped up on my Netflix home page a couple of weeks ago. I’m not really that interested in animated movies anymore, but the premise sounded cute so I thought it was a film my Mom and I could enjoy together. We watched it this past weekend and both really enjoyed it. I hope you enjoy my That Christmas movie review and that it convinces you to check out this movie yourself!
What is That Christmas on Netflix About?
That Christmas is an animated film that was released on Netflix on December 4, 2024. The movie combines multiple storylines from the book That Christmas and Other Stories, which was written by Richard Curtis and illustrated by Rebecca Cobb.
The film version combines three different storylines. First, there’s Danny who is new to town and still trying to find his place. He struggles to meet friends and is lonely, because his Mom is a nurse who has to work on Christmas. Then there’s Sam, Danny’s classmate who has her hands full as she deals with her naughty twin sister Charlie. Charlie is always getting into trouble which makes Sam worry that Santa is going to skip their house.
And finally, there’s Bernadette’s story. The character of Bernadette is the oldest out of all the children between her parents and their friends. So when the parents go out for the day on Christmas Eve, she’s in charge of all the kids. But when their parents experience a snowstorm and are unable to make the drive back home, the kids must fend for themselves.
My Initial Thoughts
As I mentioned earlier, it’s been a while since I’ve watched an animated film. And when the opening credits rolled on this movie I was so enchanted. The town of Wellington-on-sea was so cute and I loved all of the details. The lights and the snow, and the small village feel. The seaside town was decorated so beautifully for the holiday season.
The school play at the beginning of the movie was so adorable. Both my Mom and I were confused about what was going on. “Was that broccoli?” My Mom asked.
And yes. Yes it was broccoli. Because vegetable farmers were an important part of the Nativity story. Lol.
We laughed as the play went on and the three wise women were introduced. There were so many funny moments and even though this movie might be intended for young children, we were really enjoying ourselves. The character of Sam did a great job of turning a boring Christmas story into an unforgettable Christmas tale.
The True Meaning of Christmas
I haven’t read the stories that this film was based on, but I plan to look for them at my local library. I liked how we got different perspectives from all of the different characters. It really reminded me that you don’t know what everyone is going through, so it’s important to be kind. It’s important to be kind always, but especially at Christmas.
Between the script and the beautifully done artwork and animation, this film gives the proper dose of holiday sentimentality.
The Cast
There are so many voice actors featured in this film, so I’m not going to list them all. You can find more information on the cast here. This talented voice cast helps to create the beautiful Christmas story that is told throughout this movie. They all did a great job which is why I wanted to share my That Christmas movie review.
Young Danny
Danny’s story in this film will really resonate with younger audiences. It’s very common these days to have a single parent and young kids might take comfort in the fact that Danny’s situation is similar to theirs. Working on Christmas is no fun and it broke my heart that his Mom had to go to work instead of spending the holiday with him. But he handled things in the best way possible and his ending made me happy.
Sam and Charlie
This is a sisterly relationship that really made me laugh. Although they are twins, Sam and Charlie are as different as night and day. I loved how protective Sam was of Charlie, and in the end it turns out that the protectiveness was returned. I felt a little emotional when Charlie saw that Sam had an empty stocking but I got even more emotional at her actions afterward. Theirs is a story line that really surprised me.
Bernie and The Gang
This is the story of how Bernie saved Christmas. When she found out that their parents wouldn’t be home in time for Christmas morning, she gather the group of kids she was watching and distracted them with “The Best Christmas Ever!”. For younger viewers, this probably will seem like the best Christmas ever. Those kids had so much junk food and sweets that I’m surprised they could sleep at all. Lol.
Anyway… I might just be getting too emotional in my thirties but I thought this was a beautiful story. Without Bernie there to distract the kids and feed them Christmas dinner, things could have gotten really bad.
The Town as a Whole
All Christmas movies have to be wrapped up at some point, and it made me so happy how the whole town could come together in. This movie has the winning combination of beautiful artwork, whimsical music, and emotional depth. It reminds me that we all need a little help sometimes and that it’s important to be good to your neighbors.
Watch or Pass?
Watch!
If you get the chance to check out That Christmas on Netflix, I hope you do. This was a very sweet movie and might be the most revolutionary holiday film of the year. It’s perfect for all audiences, in inluding small children as well as adults. There’s a lot going on in this movie and yet it’s all interconnected in ways that you don’t expect.
Thank you for checking out this blog post and I hope you enjoyed my That Christmas movie review.
