This Christmas Synopsis & Review: Plot Summary

🎯 Quick Overview

😅 Plot Summary – Badly Explained

A mom tries to wrangle her chaotic adult kids for Christmas, but everyone’s got secrets, debts, and live-in boyfriends—it’s basically a yuletide soap opera with more soul train lines.

🍿 This Christmas: Detailed Plot Synopsis

The Whitfield Family Reunion

The Whitfield family, led by matriarch Ma’Dere, prepares for their first Christmas reunion in four years. Each of her six children arrives at her Los Angeles home, bringing along their own baggage and secrets. Lisa, the responsible one, struggles with her marriage, while Quentin, the eldest son, returns after a long absence, burdened by debt.

Secrets and Conflicts Emerge

As the family gathers, hidden tensions and conflicts begin to surface. Claude, a Marine, carries a secret marriage, and Kelli, a successful businesswoman, clashes with Lisa over life choices. Meanwhile, Michael, the youngest, dreams of a music career but fears disappointing his mother. These secrets threaten to disrupt the holiday cheer and expose deep-seated family issues.

Financial and Personal Struggles

Lisa’s husband, Malcolm, pressures her to sell the family’s dry cleaning business, leading to further conflict among the siblings. Quentin’s debts catch up to him, endangering the family. Ma’Dere’s relationship with Joe Black, a church deacon, also faces scrutiny, particularly from Quentin, who still hopes for his estranged father’s return. These struggles test the family’s bonds and force them to confront their individual flaws.

⚠️ Spoilers and Ending Explained

🎬 Cast & Characters

• Ma’Dere Whitfield (Loretta Devine): The strong matriarch of the Whitfield family, striving to keep her family together while harboring secrets of her own.
• Quentin Whitfield Jr. (Idris Elba): The estranged eldest son, a jazz musician burdened by debt and resentment towards his mother’s new relationship.
• Lisa Moore (Regina King): The responsible eldest daughter, a stay-at-home mom dealing with her husband’s infidelity and the family business.
• Claude Whitfield (Columbus Short): The middle son and a Marine, returning home with a surprise wife and hidden military status.
• Michael ‘Baby’ Whitfield (Chris Brown): The youngest son, a talented singer struggling to reveal his passion to his overprotective mother.
• Joe Black (Delroy Lindo): Ma’Dere’s loving and supportive boyfriend, a church deacon facing the disapproval of some of her children.
• Kelli Whitfield (Sharon Leal): The successful and independent sister, a New York ad executive who clashes with her sister Lisa and unexpectedly finds love.

💬 Memorable Quotes

• Lisa Moore: “No it isn’t, but I’m going to keep drinking until it is!” – Lisa says this after discovering a shocking secret about her brother’s marriage, using humor to cope with the situation.
• Ma’Dere Whitfield: “Family is all we got. When everything else fails, that’s who’s gonna be there.” – Ma’Dere emphasizes the importance of family bonds during a Christmas dinner, highlighting the movie’s central theme.
• Quentin Whitfield: “I ain’t got time for Christmas.” – Quentin says this to express his detached attitude towards family and holiday traditions, highlighting his internal conflict.

💰Box Office

• Budget: $13,000,000
• Domestic Gross: $49,121,934
• Worldwide Gross: $49,778,552

💥 This Christmas Reviews

Personal Review

I really enjoyed ‘This Christmas’ because it felt like a real family gathering. The drama was relatable, the humor was spot-on, and the music made me want to dance. I especially loved the scene where Chris Brown sings ‘This Christmas’; it gave me chills! I also appreciated how the movie showed a complex family dynamic with so much love amid the chaos.

• Who would enjoy:
  • “Fans of ensemble cast dramas”
  • “Viewers who enjoy holiday-themed family movies”
  • “Audiences interested in African-American family stories”
  • “Fans of Regina King, Idris Elba, and Loretta Devine”
  • “People looking for a blend of comedy and drama”
• Content warnings ⚠:
  • “Infidelity”
  • “Financial struggles”
  • “Some coarse language”
  • “Brief scenes of violence”
  • “Mature thematic elements”

Professional Reviews

• IMDb: “This is a great movie about family with lots of drama and comedic moments. Chris Brown did an excellent job, and the story is something we can all relate to in some way.
• Rotten Tomatoes: “”This Christmas” is a charming holiday movie about what is important in life…family. It’s well-acted and has an authentic feel that most people can relate to.

Audience Reactions

Loved the realistic family issues and how the actors brought the story to life.: Most viewers appreciated the blend of humor and drama, making it a relatable family holiday movie.

Overall Consensus: ‘This Christmas’ is generally viewed as an entertaining and heartwarming holiday film, despite some predictable storylines and melodrama, with most people finding it to be an authentic portrayal of family dynamics.

Awards

🛠️ Behind the Scenes

• “Lauren London was offered her role in the film based on her performance in ‘ATL’ without needing to audition.”
• “Chris Brown’s performance of ‘This Christmas’ in the movie helped to boost the song’s popularity during the holiday season.”
• “The film features multiple storylines, mirroring the complexities often found in real-life family gatherings.”
• “The film’s soundtrack features classic soul and R&B tracks, enhancing the film’s depiction of an African-American family Christmas.”

🖥️ How to Watch This Christmas?

This Christmas is available for streaming and purchase on various platforms. You can find it on services like Prime Video, Apple TV, and Vudu, where you can rent or buy the movie. Check your local listings or use a streaming aggregator to find the most up-to-date options and deals. DVD and Blu-ray versions are also typically available for purchase online and in stores.

🎥 Similar Movies

If you enjoyed This Christmas, you might like these similar films:

• Soul Food (1997): Focuses on a large African-American family dealing with drama and traditions, highlighting the importance of their Sunday dinners.
• The Best Man (1999): Explores complex relationships and secrets among a group of African-American friends at a wedding, similar to the family secrets revealed in ‘This Christmas’.
• Almost Christmas (2016): A more recent holiday film centered on a family gathering for Christmas after a loss, with similar themes of family drama and reconciliation.
• A Family Reunion Christmas (2022): Another feel-good holiday film on Netflix that centers around family and friends, which would appeal to fans.

🛒 This Christmas Related Products

• This Christmas [Soundtrack]: Official soundtrack featuring artists like Chris Brown, The Temptations, Aretha Franklin, and James Brown. A must-have to get you into the holiday spirit!
• This Christmas (Blu-ray): Own the film in high definition and relive the Whitfield family’s memorable holiday gathering. Features bonus content like behind-the-scenes footage and cast interviews.
• Regina King Autographed Photo: A professionally printed and framed photo of Regina King as Lisa Moore in ‘This Christmas’.
• This Christmas – Movie Poster: Original movie poster featuring the cast of ‘This Christmas’. Perfect for decorating a home theater or adding to a movie poster collection.

🎧 Soundtrack

This Christmas features a captivating soundtrack that enhances the movie’s atmosphere and emotional impact. Here are some notable tracks:

• “This Christmas” – performed by Chris Brown
• “Please Come Home For Christmas” – performed by Aaron Neville
• “The Christmas Song” – performed by Nat King Cole

You can find the complete soundtrack on Amazon Music and Apple Music.

🤨 FAQ

🔥 Bonus Content

The Inevitable Downfall Of Robert Zemeckis’ CGI Films (Polar Express, Beowulf, A Christmas Carol)

Ever wonder why ‘A Christmas Carol’ looked so…different? This video breaks down Zemeckis’s CGI choices and how they impacted his films. I found the explanation about the Uncanny Valley super interesting.

✨ Rate