Director Preston A. Whitmore II invades Tyler Perry territory with this engaging dramedy chronicling the eventful Christmas week of a middle-class African-American family in Los Angeles. Coming together for annual holiday revels, the Whitfield clan has no shortage of drama in their daily lives. Eldest son Quentin (Idris Elba) is running away from bookies, eldest daughter Lisa (Regina King) is trying to hold her own family together in spite of her husband's cheating, and middle son Claude (Columbus Short) has just gone AWOL from the military to marry a white woman. Meanwhile, strong-willed matriarch Ma'Dere (Loretta Devine) doesn't want the kids to know she's playing house with church deacon Joe Black (Delroy Lindo). The various situations presented in This Christmas are resolved neatly if not entirely believably, but overall this is reasonably entertaining holiday fare. A strong optional purchase. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by costars Regina King, Sharon Leal, and Lauren London, a 12-minute “making-of” featurette, six minutes of deleted and extended scenes, the music video “This Christmas” performed by costar Chris Brown, and trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a passably entertaining holiday flick.] (E. Hulse)
This Christmas
Sony, 119 min., PG-13, DVD: $28.99, Blu-ray: $38.99, Nov. 11 Volume 23, Issue 6
This Christmas
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