By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
'Almost Christmas' almost breaks expectation of disappointment
Whats in with Justin
almost christmas
Danny Glover and Mo'Nique lead the cast of "Almost Christmas."

I have never been a big fan of Christmas comedies. To me, I put them a notch or two below slasher films.

However, that’s not entirely the case with "Almost Christmas" although there are plenty of yuletide faults to be had.

Danny Glover stars as Walter Meyers, a widowed family patriarch, living in Birmingham who’s trying to organize his yearly Christmas get-together with his family. His hope for them to spend five days in his house without anything going wrong.

Gabrielle Union and Kimberly Elise costar as his daughters and Romany Malco and Jessie Usher are his sons.

Oscar-winner Mo’Nique costars as the family aunt who concocts some strange Christmas delicacies and the family tries to play nice by reluctantly devouring her food, but in the end, they’d rather order pizza. Mo’Nique does earn some good comedic chops and she’s much funnier than anything Tyler Perry’s Madea has accomplished in an entire film.

Other plot elements involve Malco’s congressional campaign, as well a love triangle of sorts between one of the married couples and a girl working as a cashier in a grocery store. Often, it feels contrived and predictable, but it does end with a finale that earns big laughs.

These performances deserve a better genre. Glover and Mo’Nique are truly the only anchors here and while the others in the cast do what they can, the plot is dead in the water. Any attempts at comedy by the supporting cast usually fall flat and other times it’s knee-deep in fortune cookie philosophy about the ideals of family and togetherness that could’ve been borrowed from a dozen other Christmas comedies.

"Almost Christmas" isn’t nearly the disaster that "Love, the Coopers" was a year ago, but I don’t foresee anyone wanting to warrant repeat viewings of this around the holidays either.

Grade: C

Rated PG-13 for suggestive material, drug content and language.

Hall is a syndicated columnist in South Georgia.

Sign up for our E-Newsletters
Marvel Cinamtic Universe gets a very big bang
What's in with Justin
infinity war
There may have been a Marvel character or two who were left out of Avengers: Infinity War, but its hard to imagine who. - photo by Studio photo
After 10 years and 19 movies, the Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to prove why it is the most successful franchise in movie history, it also is showing what it is doing with its characters.
Would you like to keep reading?
You have 1 free view remaining. Use your last view to read more.
Latest Obituaries