This Christmas (2007)

A Christmastime drama centered around the Whitfield family's first holiday together in four years.

Director:

Preston A. Whitmore II

Writer:

Preston A. Whitmore II

Stars:

Regina King, Columbus Short, Delroy Lindo

4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Delroy Lindo	...	Joseph Black
Idris Elba	...	Quentin Whitfield
Loretta Devine	...	Ma'Dere Whitfield
Chris Brown	...	Michael 'Baby' Whitfield
Keith Robinson	...	Devean Brooks
Laz Alonso	...	Malcolm Moore
Columbus Short	...	Claude Whitfield
Sharon Leal	...	Kelli Whitfield
Lauren London	...	Melanie 'Mel' Whitfield
Lupe Ontiveros	...	Rosie
Jessica Stroup	...	Sandi
Mekhi Phifer	...	Gerald
Regina King	...	Lisa Moore
David Banner	...	Mo
Ricky Harris	...	Cousin Fred

Storyline

In Los Angeles, Shirley Ann Whitfield, affectionately called Ma'Dere, is the matriarch of the Whitfield family, she with six children: San Francisco residing wife and mother Lisa who feels the need to act as the responsible one in managing her extended family's welfare, as such sacrificing her own wants in the process; traveling jazz musician Quentin Jr. who the family has not seen in four years; Claude the marine; New York ad exec Kelli who admits she is the selfish one; college student Mel; and Michael (called Baby) who still lives at home while figuring out what he wants to do with his life. Ma'Dere has lived in the family home for a few years now with Joe Black, a church deacon, with Ma'Dere's husband/the children's father, Quentin Whitfield Sr., long having left the family to pursue a life as a jazz musician. Because of the pain associated for Ma'Dere, Sr.'s piano sits in the garage untouched. Quentin, being a chip off the old paternal block, is the most disconnected from the ...

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Plot Keywords:

family home | musician | christmas | secret | piano | 

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Taglines:

You can't exchange family.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for comic sexual content and some violence

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 November 2007 (USA)

Also Known As:

This Christmas

Filming Locations:

St. John's Episcopal Cathedral - 514 West Adams Boulevard, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$13,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$17,958,183, 25 November 2007

Gross USA:

$49,121,934

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$49,778,552

Company Credits

Production Co:

Facilitator Films, Rainforest Films, Screen Gems

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital SDDS DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

At the end of the movie when the actors are all dancing during the soul train line, Chris Brown dances down the line while holding Lauren London's graduation photo.

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Goofs

When Claude Whitfield got arrested, Joe Black said that he was AWOL from the Army. At the end of the movie he has on a Marine Corps. uniform. Army personnel go 'AWOL'. Marines go 'UA' (Unexcused Absence).

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Quotes

Melanie 'Mel' Whitfield: So, technically, you slept with Santa?
Kelli Whitfield: Well, I didn't know he was Santa at the time... but technically, I guess I did.
Melanie 'Mel' Whitfield: Well, ho, ho, ho!

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Crazy Credits

The opening Screen Gems logo is bright red and covered in Christmas tree lights.

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Connections

Referenced in Bad Movie Beatdown: Christmas with the Kranks (2009)

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Soundtracks

Go Getta
Written by Allan Wayne Felder (as Allan Felder), Norman Harris, Tanya Jones,
Kevin Cossom, Andrew Harr, Jermaine Jackson, R. Kelly (as Robert Kelly) and Jeezy (as Jay Jenkins)
Performed by Jeezy featuring R. Kelly
R. Kelly appears courtesy of Jive Records
By Arrangement with SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
Courtesy of The Island Def Jam Music Group
Under license from Universal Music Enterprises
Contains a sample of "Born on Helloween"
Performed by Blue Magic
Courtesy of Atlantic Recording Corp.
By Arrangement with Warner Music Group Film & TV Licensing

User Reviews

Art, semi-imitating life

I just saw this movie today on cable and I was entertained. Yes, the plot lines were predictable, but name a movie in the last 25 years that wasn't. The cast was perfect: have you ever seen a bad movie with Delroy Lindo, Loretta Devine or Regina King. Look up the definition for "dysfunctional" and I'm sure it mentions family. We all have them. I am a 53-year-old white woman with only one child and and I related to this family. Ma'dere is doing the best she can to stay on top of her brood, while realizing that its unrealistic to do so. She's trying to find some happiness with Joe without betraying the fathers of her children. Her children are just trying to find their places in life, without severing all family ties. The scene where the new daughter-in-law comes in ("I'll keep drinkin' till it's funny") followed by the bookies ("Are YOU secretly married to one of my children?") is hysterical. So is the baby oil scene, whether or not its politically correct. This movie will be added to my list of Christmas movies.