The Perfect Holiday

Utterly conventional but entertaining nonetheless, The Perfect Holiday is a mainstream romantic dramedy starring Gabrielle Union as Nancy, a divorced mother of three who'd love to find a good man under her Christmas tree—a holiday wish that Nancy's daughter transmits to department store Santa/aspiring songwriter Benjamin (Morris Chestnut). When Benjamin sees Nancy, romance blossoms—although he doesn't realize that her ex is the popular rapper for whom he has just written his first potential hit song. The Perfect Holiday requires more suspension of disbelief than usual. It's tough to buy the glamorous Union as a mother of three, and tougher still to imagine that she has any trouble finding men. It's equally hard to believe that her rapper ex-husband could record a holiday-themed song and actually get it into stores a matter of days before Christmas. And the periodic materializations of seemingly supernatural characters played by Queen Latifah and Terrence Howard, who alternately encourage and impede the romance between Nancy and Benjamin, are just plain puzzling. Still, Union and Chestnut make a good screen team in this innocuous and often enjoyable film that maintains high spirits throughout. A strong optional purchase. [Note: DVD extras include audio commentary by producer Mike Elliott, 16 minutes of video diaries during “6 Days on the Set,” the 13-minute “making-of” featurette “Wish List,” and trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a halfway decent holiday film.] (E. Hulse)