This Christmas

This Christmas

Year: 2007

Runtime: 117 min

Language: English

Director: Preston A. Whitmore II

Budget: $13M

DramaComedyRomance

The Whitfield family gathers for Christmas, and old tensions resurface as siblings reconnect after years apart. Each carries emotional burdens and unspoken truths, threatening to disrupt the holiday festivities. As they navigate familiar traditions and confront buried secrets, the family must reckon with their past and rediscover the meaning of togetherness, ultimately leading to a heartwarming exploration of love and forgiveness.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline – This Christmas (2007)

Trace every key event in This Christmas (2007) with our detailed, chronological timeline. Perfect for unpacking nonlinear stories, spotting hidden connections, and understanding how each scene builds toward the film’s climax. Whether you're revisiting or decoding for the first time, this timeline gives you the full picture.

1

Family Reunion

The middle-class African-American family gathers at Ma'dere's home after several years apart. This reunion sets the stage for a deep exploration of their complex relationships and unresolved tensions.

Christmas Ma'dere's home
2

Awkward Conversations Begin

As the family comes together, sensitive topics begin to surface, creating an atmosphere charged with emotional undercurrents. Initial conversations hint at deeper issues that will soon lead to conflict.

Christmas Eve Ma'dere's living room
3

Heated Exchanges Arise

The family dynamic quickly escalates into verbal clashes as differing views on family matters come to light. These exchanges reveal the underlying resentments each family member carries.

Christmas Day Kitchen
4

The Sisterly Brawl

In a surprising turn of events, a memorable sister-on-sister brawl erupts during the gathering. This confrontation symbolizes the deep-seated frustrations and unresolved issues that exist between them.

Christmas Day Living room
5

The Business Dispute

One sister proposes selling the family's dry cleaning business to split the proceeds, sparking fierce disagreements. This proposition highlights the family's differing priorities and their struggle over financial security.

Christmas Day Dining room
6

Brothers' Troubles

One brother reveals his entanglement with loan sharks, leading to concerns about his safety and financial situation. This revelation adds another layer of drama to the already tense family gathering.

Christmas Day Backyard
7

AWOL Marine Sibling

The family's dilemma deepens as they come to grips with another sibling being AWOL from the Marine Corps. This issue raises questions about duty, honor, and family loyalty amid the challenges they face.

Christmas Day Living room
8

Introducing the Boyfriend

A sister's introduction of her boyfriend from a historically black college adds another layer of complexity to the family dynamics. His presence introduces new perspectives and challenges from outside the family circle.

Christmas Day Dining room
9

Moments of Reflection

Amidst the chaos, characters take moments to reflect on their lives, revealing their personal struggles and aspirations. These reflections serve as poignant reminders of their individual journeys and the family's collective history.

Later in the evening Porch
10

Violent Climax

As tensions reach a breaking point, the family experiences a violent confrontation that shatters any illusions of a harmonious Christmas. This pivotal moment encapsulates the film's raw portrayal of family dynamics.

Christmas night Living room
11

Aftermath of Conflict

Following the violent clash, family members grapple with the fallout of their actions. This moment becomes a catalyst for them to confront their underlying issues head-on.

Late Christmas night Ma'dere's home
12

Path to Reconciliation

In the wake of the chaos, the family begins to engage in conversations aimed at understanding one another. This path towards reconciliation is filled with vulnerability, allowing for healing to occur.

Post-Christmas Living room
13

Embracing Imperfections

The family acknowledges their flaws and imperfections, realizing the importance of accepting one another as they truly are. This acceptance marks a significant step in their relationship, showcasing growth.

Post-Christmas Ma'dere's home
14

New Beginnings

As the Christmas gathering comes to a close, the family members consider the lessons learned from their tumultuous experience. They look towards new beginnings, united by the bonds of family despite their differences.

New Year's Eve Ma'dere's home

Last Updated: November 16, 2024 at 17:48

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Explore Movie Threads

Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Dramatic Holiday Reunions like in This Christmas

Families gather for the holidays, forcing long-buried secrets and tensions to the surface.If you liked the blend of festive cheer and family drama in This Christmas, you'll find similar movies here. These stories feature families coming together for holidays, where old wounds are reopened and secrets are revealed, all set against a seasonal backdrop. They capture the bittersweet reality of family gatherings, mixing conflict with eventual warmth.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern follows a family reuniting for a holiday, often after a long separation. The festive environment initially masks underlying tensions, but these pressures eventually boil over, leading to major confrontations about past grievances, financial struggles, or personal betrayals. The story arc moves from conflict towards a cathartic resolution, where characters must choose forgiveness over continued strife.

Why These Movies?

These movies are grouped by their shared setting of a family holiday and their focus on the dramatic tension that arises from forced proximity. They share a bittersweet tone, balancing the warmth of tradition with the raw emotion of familial conflict, and typically feature a steady pacing that allows character issues to unfold naturally.

Raw Family Dramas like in This Christmas

Siblings and parents confront painful truths in a turbulent journey toward forgiveness.For viewers who enjoyed the honest portrayal of family strife in This Christmas, this section features movies with similar emotional journeys. These films explore sibling rivalry, parental failures, and hidden truths within a family, building towards a climax of confrontation and eventual healing. They are characterized by their medium emotional weight and hopeful conclusions.

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Narrative Summary

Stories in this thread follow a family, often adult siblings, who are brought together by an event, forcing them to address long-standing issues like rivalry, betrayal, or financial strain. The plot hinges on the unveiling of secrets and the resulting confrontations, which test but ultimately strengthen their bonds. The emotional journey is from division and anger to understanding and forgiveness.

Why These Movies?

These films are connected by their central focus on the intense, often painful process of family members facing their shared history. They share a medium intensity level, balancing dramatic fights with quieter moments of reflection, and a consistent emotional weight that deals seriously with issues like adultery or debt without becoming overwhelming.

Unlock the Full Story of This Christmas

Don't stop at just watching — explore This Christmas in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what This Christmas is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

This Christmas Summary

Read a complete plot summary of This Christmas, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

This Christmas Summary

Characters, Settings & Themes in This Christmas

Discover the characters, locations, and core themes that shape This Christmas. Get insights into symbolic elements, setting significance, and deeper narrative meaning — ideal for thematic analysis and movie breakdowns.

Characters, Settings & Themes in This Christmas

This Christmas Spoiler-Free Summary

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This Christmas Spoiler-Free Summary

More About This Christmas

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More About This Christmas