Summary
These movies will do well again when we focus on love and togetherness.
My heart was so excited and tender for the animated Netflix movie That Christmas, and it took all five minutes for it to flop and fizzle out to get rid of that feeling.
That Christmas is a movie based on the seaside community of Wellington-On-Sea. This story shows a few different households experiencing Christmas cheer and challenges.
One family has a single mother nurse struggling to be there for the holidays with her Son. Another family is dealing with the difficulty of one child being naughty and one being nice. Wellington-On-See courts a huge snowy blizzard that will impact all the families in different ways. But the resolution encompasses the theme of community—a pure and virtuous theme. Every household is facing challenges, sadness, and disappointment.
But through the challenges and struggles, the community comes together. All characters are loving and supporting one another. You’ll never face anything alone as long as you have each other.
Though I didn’t enjoy this Christmas movie, the younger generation will like it. It will be relatable and amusing for them.
And that doesn’t mean it’s a necessarily bad Christmas movie; it’s just not for me. I love my classics. I love the cheesy, all-too-well-known ending love stories. I love the retro innocence.
One line I loved in this film that is heartbreaking but true is this …
“I always think Christmas is a bit like an emotional magnifying glass. Christmas will make you feel even happier and more loved if you feel loved and happy. But if you feel alone and unloved, the magnifier gets to work. And makes all those bad things bigger and worse.”
This line shows the importance of being together during the festive period. There is a universal understanding that we should all unite in peace at Christmastime.
Christmas is a beautiful yet painful time of year for many people for many reasons. Maybe we can take a message from this movie: keep your community close yet ever-expanding. How can you support and love others this Christmas time?
On another note, one part of this movie did break my heart, but not in the way you’d expect; the audacity that this movie had to belittle Love Actually, one of the most watched movies at this time of year, infuriated me. If you’re going to throw shade at a classic movie, at least have a substantially good story behind you to have the leg to stand on! I’m showing my age.
I also enjoyed Dasher, the reindeer’s performance, but unfortunately, he gave a very brief performance—a pity.
Now, my more serious opinion is that the beginning of this movie is pointless and ideology-based. The kids at the Nativity play have decided to change the storyline about the birth of Jesus to be about climate change and vegetables—don’t ask.
But to further that… calling Jesus a hipster, and I quote, “He wouldn’t have wanted us to do the same boring Christmas story,” was unnecessary and pointless.
I’m tired and deflated by these ideological, nitpicky Christmas movies. Christmas is a time for joy, love, and unity. Not pushing ideologies and revolutions. It’s subtle, but modern-day movies are moving away from traditional intention and spirit.
This is the second Christmas movie in 2024 to suggest that we need to change the story of Jesus (Our Little Secret). Believe it or not, trying to change this story is distasteful. What irks me more is that it adds no value or meaning to the story.
The film’s ending was wonderful and heartwarming, as promised. But we need to keep these movies innocent and pure. We don’t need any agendas or subliminal messaging. We want fun, cheer, and a lot of Christmas spirit.
