‘Tis the season for Christmas content, and Netflix plans to get in the spirit with the new animated family flick That Christmas. The story takes place in a small English seaside town, and follows the intertwined stories of its residents and their Christmas celebrations.
The film is based on a trilogy of children’s books written by Richard Curtis — a household name when it comes to the holidays thanks to his feature Love Actually. Curtis executive produced and wrote That Christmas, with Simon Otto (How to Train Your Dragon) directing.
That Christmas offers up plenty of charm from the start, from its animation to its range of endearing characters (backed by an impressive voice cast, including Jodie Whittaker, Brian Cox, Bill Nighy, and Fiona Shaw).
Wellington-on-Sea’s residents include teen aspiring director Bernadette, who puts on a nativity play full of organic vegetables and Madonna karaoke; the cautious and rules-conscious Sam, who’s always trying to temper her mischievous and meddlesome twin Charlie’s hijinks; the prickly Ms. Trapper, a no-nonsense school teacher used to shutting out the world; and Danny, a boy feeling down and isolated after his parents’ divorce.
For Love Actually fans, you can definitely see Curtis in this new holiday tale. (And not just literally, since the movie gives Love Actually a little tongue-in-cheek cameo as the cheesy annual watch beloved by adults and bemoaned by kids.) That Christmas also weaves together different interconnected stories of love and family during the holidays. And similarly to Love Actually, That Christmas makes an effort to explore not just the sunshiney, feel-good side of the season, but to touch on its more challenging side as well.
In one of Santa’s early voiceovers, he likens Christmas to an emotional magnifying glass. “If you feel loved and happy, Christmas will make you feel happier and more loved. But if you feel alone and unloved, the magnifier gets to work. And that makes all those bad things bigger and worse,” he sagely says.
That Christmas does a nice job of exploring this theme in ways kids can understand. There’s a grounding dose of realism here, particularly in Danny’s story, as he finds his holiday plans upended by forces outside his control. Life is messy, and so are the holidays. But That Christmas ultimately keeps a cheery outlook, reminding us to embrace what we have and look for opportunities to be kind to one another.
That Christmas blends together stories from three different Curtis books; this mostly works, but there are places where the story threads don’t always come together well. I know it’s probably strange to say this kids Christmas tale doesn’t need Santa, but… That Christmas really didn’t need Santa. His storyline with Sam and Charlie’s stockings comes across as blink-and-you’ll-miss-it, and it feels like we don’t quite get the emotional impact intended here.
Still, That Christmas’s generally quick pace remains one of the film’s assets. At a tight 90 minutes, it doesn’t overstay its welcome, and easily keeps your attention throughout. Bloated runtimes always seem like a risk with an ensemble and multiple storylines, so I’m glad this story stayed on course. Occasionally the film’s sentimentality feels a little forced or too saccharine – but again, it’s Richard Curtis. You probably have an idea of what you’re getting into hitting play on this one.
While That Christmas may not achieve the status of “instant classic,” it’s a perfectly charming holiday story to get you in the Christmas spirit. You can easily incorporate this one into your seasonal streaming rotation.
That Christmas releases in select US theaters November 27. Afterwards, it will begin streaming on Netflix December 4.
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