This Christmas (2007)
The Whitfields come home: five siblings, their secrets, and Ma'Dere's rules.
For the first time in years, all the Whitfield children return to Shirley 'Ma'Dere' Whitfield's house for Christmas — bringing a deserter boyfriend, secret marriages, debts, and old rivalries to one crowded table. Delroy Lindo, Loretta Devine, Idris Elba, Regina King, and Chris Brown headline the defining modern Black Christmas ensemble film, named for Donny Hathaway's song.
Preston A. Whitmore II built this around the Whitfield family table — Loretta Devine's Ma'Dere holding a houseful of grown children, secrets, and side dishes together for one holiday. Idris Elba, Delroy Lindo, Regina King, and a young Chris Brown (who covers Donny Hathaway's title song, the bravest assignment in holiday music) give it an all-star warmth. What sets it apart from the season's comedies is its patience: the film believes family reconciliation is slow, funny, and worth the mess, and it shoots the food like another member of the cast.
From the Film
The Facts
- Year
- 2007
- Director
- Preston A. Whitmore II
- Runtime
- 119 minutes
- Network / Studio
- theatrical
- Genres
- Comedy, Drama, Romance
Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Delroy Lindo | Joseph 'Joe' Black |
| Idris Elba | Quentin Whitfield |
| Loretta Devine | Ma'Dere / Shirley Ann Whitfield |
| Chris Brown | Michael 'Baby' Whitfield |
| Columbus Short | Claude Whitfield |
| Regina King | Lisa Moore |
Good to know: It is named after the 1970 Donny Hathaway song 'This Christmas' and grossed $49.8 million on a $13 million budget.
Where to watch This Christmas
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