Well, Virginia… While many family holiday movies rely on whether kids believe in Santa Claus, Netflix’s charming “That Christmas” shows that it’s very important for kids to believe in themselves.
Adapted from three picture books by Richard Curtis, author of Love Actually, this is a feel-good animated film full of kids questioning their worth – and not just in the naughty or nice department, either. A few of the main characters question whether they are worthy of love, due to absent parents or opposition from authority figures. Leave it to Curtis (and co-writer Peter Sutter) to provide some damning evidence that each of them matters in the absence of the adults — with the help of old St. Nick, who shows up to deliver some strategically timed gifts while most of the adults are AWOL.
Set in the small English town of Wellington-on-Sea, the story focuses on a small coastal community to observe a phenomenon occurring all over the world – how these traditional holidays bend and bend to reflect the values of the day. . This is perhaps most evident in the character of Bernadette (voiced by India Brown), who rewrites the annual Christmas pageant to be more woke. She means well, but she may have gone too far in her execution, as she inadvertently sprayed the first few rows with watermelon pulp. Fine for a Gallagher concert, but less than ideal for a school play.
Opening with her birth disaster injects “This Christmas” with a nice dose of comedic energy from the jump, while also serving to introduce practically the entire ensemble. Right off the bat, we meet Danny (Jack Wisniewski), a quick-to-flush kid dressed as a giant chickpea — not your traditional Christmas costume, but a good disguise for someone so shy he’d curl up in his own cave if he could. . Danny has a crush on his good-natured colleague Sam (Zazie Hayhurst), but he doesn’t have the courage to tell her, which is a good thing, too, since Sam is busy trying to keep her unruly twin sister, Charlie, in check. Sienna Sayre of choice.
Danny’s parents are separating, which is something you don’t usually see in Christmas movies — and it’s all the better, because it reflects the kind of real-life challenge that affects how today’s kids experience the holidays. Danny’s single mother does her best, expressing her love through sticky notes (which pay off with a scene not unlike the handwritten signs in “Love Actually”), even though her demanding nursing job forces her to leave the boy unattended.
Meanwhile, on the day before Christmas, almost all of the other parents find themselves caught in a snowstorm, which leaves Bernadette (who was desperate to freshen up the festivities anyway) in charge of how to celebrate in their absence. Her story comes directly from the picture book of the title, while Danny and the twins represent the plots of the companion books “Snow Day” and “The Wrong Stocking.” It all adds up to an almost overwhelming Christmas for Wellington, but at least the weather isn’t so bad that Santa can’t get past him (he’s voiced by Brian Cox here, down to one deer).
Although the town may be small, it reflects modern England in interesting ways, from the presence of non-Christian characters to the design of two girls with a black mother and a red-haired white father: Bernadette and her little sister, Evie, playing sports. Bright red hair and freckles. Such extensive detail can seem forced in some modern anime, but here it adds dimension to the character-packed cast (and makes up for animation that feels a little flatter than its big-studio rivals). Consider the twins, who look not at all identical, and are very different in their actions: the rosy-cheeked Sam plays nervously with her hair, while Charlie has a more disheveled appearance, befitting the kind of girl who would unleash a barn full of turkeys instead. I see them devouring Christmas dinner.
Curtis’ name is sure to be a selling point for many parents, who will get a kick from the in-jokes taken at the expense of the book’s other credits. However, it’s worth noting three talents from DreamWorks’ “How to Train Your Dragon” who have reunited at Locksmith Animation (the studio that created “Ron’s Gone Wrong”): First, there’s Simon Otto, head of character animator for the “Ron’s Gone Wrong” films. Dragon,” making a great feature film debut with this project. Producer Bonnie Arnold is also along for the ride, bringing her upbeat instincts into the mix. And composer John Powell provides a circular orchestral score that gives the entire project a sense of scale.
There are a lot of story threads to juggle here, and they’re not always neatly braided (the hoarding jumble is resolved almost immediately, while the tentative friendship between Danny and the most intimidating teacher in the school takes almost the entire film to develop). . While English accents add an element of charm, the end of Boxing Day seems an odd way to wrap things, at least for those who know nothing about such sporting traditions. Each season brings dozens of new Christmas specials, most of which turn out to be instantly forgettable. This is a keeper, joining “Klaus” as one of the Netflix series you can watch more than once.
“That Christmas” will be available to stream on Netflix starting December 4.