Our First Christmas (2008)

Christmas plans are destined to be ruined when two families come together.

Director:

Armand Mastroianni

Writer:

Edithe Swensen

Stars:

Dixie Carter, Julie Warner, John Ratzenberger

1 nomination.

Cast

Credited cast:
Dixie Carter	...	Evie Baer
Julie Warner	...	Cindy Baer-Noll
John Ratzenberger	...	Joe Noll
Steven Eckholdt	...	Tom Baer-Noll
Grace Fulton	...	Lily
Cassi Thomson	...	Tory
Maxim Knight	...	Jacob
Richard Riehle	...	Santa
Kat Graham	...	Assistant Bernie (as Katerina Graham)
Carly Bondar	...	Mean Girl #1
Lewis Smith	...	Pastor Brown
Chris LoPrete	...	Singer
Eric Seppala	...	Singer
Lisa Donahey	...	Singer
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
María Antonieta Vázquez	...	Barista

Storyline

Widower Tom Baer, a school counselor, recently married school coach Cindy Noll, a widow. Their respective offspring gets along fairly well, despite different parenting styles, but as their first Christmas with all step-siblings approaches, each set is desperate to respect their own seasonal traditions, reminiscent of their late parents. Tom's father, retired preacher Joe Noll, and Cindy's mother-in-law (from her deceased husband, Dave), Evie, a businesswoman, each liked by both, hoped to bridge the gap, but when that fails, she returns home alone. Just that gets the kids reconsidering their pouting pact.

---

Plot Keywords:

christmas | party | gift | brother brother relationship | bed | 

---

Genres:

Family

---

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 December 2008 (USA)

Also Known As:

Our First Christmas

Filming Locations:

Southern California, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,500,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Larry Levinson Productions

Technical Specs

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Dixie Carter and Julie Warner worked together previously on Family Law (1999).

---

Goofs

When Jacob brings Lily the ice cream sundae in her room, you can see the hand of a crew member close the door behind him.

User Reviews

Blended family issues

This story is about what happens when a newly blended family tries to blend their traditions for Christmas. They do a good job of showing how traditions are bittersweet when someone is no longer there to share them. We see that these kids are not selfish and in fact very mature for their age in that sense. Giving up the traditions is like losing that loved one again.

This is not your stereotypical Christmas story, although I'm sure elements of it have been done before. The ending could have gone a couple of ways.

All the acting is good. Two of the kids seem especially mature for their age. I was particularly impressed with John Ratzenberger who was nothing like he was on Cheers and presented a Christian retired pastor as a reasonable man of faith and love.

There was a Bible reading about Christmas and saying of grace that was more than rote. The movie may be a little preachy, but it is not about religion. It is about the importance of family.