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Almost Christmas

Almost Christmas

Comedy · Drama · 2016

A dysfunctional family gathers together for their first Christmas since the death of their matriarch.

Movie details

Almost Christmas

“Five days together? Oh joy.”

2016 Comedy · Drama 1h 51m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.0 / 10

Community rating

A dysfunctional family gathers together for their first Christmas since the death of their matriarch.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Almost Christmas?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins

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When a celebrated TV show host returns to his hometown in the South, his family is there to remind him that going home is no vacation!

Pieces of April

Pieces of April

Comedy · 2003

Quirky and rebellious April Burns lives with her boyfriend in a low-rent New York City apartment miles away from her emotionally distant family. But when she discovers that her mother has a fatal form of breast cancer, she invites the clan to her place for Thanksgiving. While her father struggles to drive her family into the city, April -- an inexperienced cook -- runs into kitchen trouble and must ask a neighbor for help.

Noelle

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Kris Kringle's daughter, Noelle, sets off on a mission to find and bring back her brother, after he gets cold feet when it's his turn to take over as Santa.

Noel

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Miracle on 34th Street

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Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh

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Death at a Funeral

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

David E. Talbert

Written by

David E. Talbert

Kimberly Elise

Kimberly Elise

Cheryl

Omar Epps

Omar Epps

Malachi

Danny Glover

Danny Glover

Walter

John Michael Higgins

John Michael Higgins

Brooks

Romany Malco

Romany Malco

Christian

Mo'Nique

Mo'Nique

Aunt May

Nicole Ari Parker

Nicole Ari Parker

Sonya

Court is in session

Put Almost Christmas on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Sentimental Softie

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Cool Ironist

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.