Summary
Angela’s Christmas is a heartwarming addition to Netflix during the festive season, bring to light Frank McCourt’s story.
Netflix is well and truly in the spirit of Christmas. First off we got the silly The Christmas Chronicles, followed by the nonsensical A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding, which is metaphorically about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, and now we have Angela’s Christmas, which is a short, sweet festive movie based on the novel by Frank McCourt.
Set in Ireland in 1910s, Netflix’s Angela’s Christmas brings home the innocence of children at Christmas time in soothing Irish accents. The family animation stars the voices of Ruth Negga (Loving, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) and Lucy O’Connell in a 30-minute movie that will leave you yearning for more.
The brilliance of Angela’s Christmas is its tendency to understand how the mind of a child works. It’s easy for children to allow their imagination to run with them, and in the case of this story, little Angela had a moment of wonder, which started in church when the vicar begins telling the story of baby Jesus.
The doll of baby Jesus lays in the cot, and Angela declares that he needs a blanket because he will get cold. This forces Angela to use her initiative, stealing baby Jesus, much to the dismay of the community that someone would take a doll from the Church.
The rest of Angela’s Christmas sees the little girl protecting the baby Jesus, making sure he is protected and warm while trying to prevent anyone from finding him. The story represents the child’s persistent and innocent desire to ensure everyone is safe, warm and loved during the loneliest time of the year. The Netflix short film is perfect for watching as a family, next to a warm log fire, if you are lucky enough to have that environment at this time of the year.
I am sure Netflix will keep throwing these little delights at us in the lead up to Christmas.
