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This Christmas

Name: This Christmas
Director: Preston A. Whitmore II
Released: 2007
Duration: 117 min

Representation Score

5.5/10

Fair

2007

PG-13

Director

Preston A. Whitmore II

Runtime

117 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

This Christmas film marks a significant cultural shift by placing a Black family at the center of a genre traditionally dominated by Anglo-Saxon archetypes. The film's strength lies in its ability to disrupt holiday cinema norms through the Whitfield family's emotional journey. However, the film remains somewhat conservative in its social engagement. It focuses on internal family dynamics and personal secrets rather than engaging in radical systemic critiques or overt challenges to traditional gender roles. Ultimately, the film provides a necessary shift in the landscape of holiday narratives, prioritizing diverse familial experiences over monolithic, traditional clichés.

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Category Breakdown

Does This Christmas have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The story focuses on personal secrets and family history rather than explicitly addressing non-straight or non-cisgender identities. While personal complexities are present, they do not significantly shape the overall structure of the story.

How does This Christmas portray gender?

Fair

The film uses a domestic setting to explore power dynamics and emotional landscapes. It hints at moving beyond traditional gender roles, though it does not clearly challenge the idea of male dominance.

How racially and ethnically diverse is This Christmas?

Excellent

By centering the Black Whitfield family, the film disrupts the historically white-centric clichés of the holiday genre. This provides a meaningful departure from the standard Western Christmas archetype.

How does This Christmas represent religion and culture?

Good

The story prioritizes individual truth and relational healing over rigid institutional or patriarchal structures. It offers a humanistic view of the holiday season rather than a purely dogmatic one.

Does This Christmas include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no discernible evidence regarding the inclusion or portrayal of characters with visible or invisible disabilities.

Present on Screen

Centering a Black family provides a meaningful departure from the historically homogeneous holiday genre.
The narrative explores complex emotional landscapes and the deconstruction of traditional domestic roles.

Limited or Absent

The film lacks explicit representation or focus on LGBTQ+ identities and non-cisgender experiences.
There is no evidence of characters with visible or invisible disabilities being included in the narrative.

Official Synopsis

This year Christmas with the Whitfields promises to be one they will never forget. All the siblings have come home for the first time in years and they've brought plenty of baggage with them. As the Christmas tree is trimmed and the lights are hung, secrets are revealed and family bonds are tested. As their lives converge, they join together and help each other discover the true meaning of family.

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