Almost Christmas [Blu-ray/DVD] [2 Discs]

Director: David E. Talbert David E. Talbert

Overview

An African-American widower (Danny Glover) asks his family -- which includes his sassy sister-in-law (Mo'Nique) and four adult children (Kimberly Elise, Romany Malco, Gabrielle Union, and Jessie Usher), as well as the latter's spouses and kids -- to join him for their first Christmas since his wife passed away. However, having all of them under one roof leads to a number of personal confrontations as secrets are revealed and marriages are tested. Omar Epps, J.B. Smoove, Nicole Ari Parker, John Michael Higgins, Keri Hilson, and DC Young Fly co-star. Written and directed by David E. Talbert (Baggage Claim).

Product Details

Release Date:	02/07/2017
UPC:	0025192347122
Original Release:	2016
Rating:	PG-13
Source:	STUDIO DISTRIBUTION SERVS LLC
Region Code:	1
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Surround EX, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround, Dolby Digital Stereo]
Language:	English
Time:	1:51:00
Sales rank:	25,180

Special Features

Even more Gags; Aunt May Unplugged; Home for the Holidays; The Director Diaries; Walter Meyers' Sweet Potato Pie; My Favorite Scene Is; Working with Actors; Feature Commentary with Filmmakers

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Kimberly Elise	Cheryl
Omar Epps	Malachi
John Michael Higgins	Brooks
Danny Glover	Walter
Romany Malco	Christian
Mo'Nique	Aunt May
JB Smoove	Lonnie
Nicole Ari Parker	Sonya
Gabrielle Union	Rachel
Jessie T. Usher	Evan
DC Young Fly	Eric
Nadej K. Bailey	Niya
Alkoya Brunson	Cameron
Marley Taylor	Dee
Keri Hilson	Jasmine
Gladys Knight	Shelter Director Dorothy
Chloe Spencer	Shelter Assistant
Gregory Alan Williams	Pastor Browning
Tara Batesole	Rental Car Clerk
Jeff Rose	Brian
Ric Reitz	Coach Parker
Ravi Naidu	Dr. Patel
Stephen A. Smith	as Himself
Tara Jones	Newswoman
Monica Brown	Waitress
Johnny Land	AAA Guy
Teresa Sykes	Church Lady
Karl Bynes	Lead Singer
Keon Mitchell	Young Walter
Rachel Kylian	Young Grace
A. Sabrena Farmer	Older Grace
Jerry Brooks	Lonnie
John Paesano	Composer
Elias Talbert	Young Evan,Malaci's Mom
Lyn Sisson-Talbert	Young Grace
Donnie Simpson	Radio DJ

Technical Credits

David Talbert

Will Packer	Producer
Preston Holmes	Executive Producer,Executive Producer
James F. Lopez	Executive Producer,Executive Producer
Jeff Morrone	Executive Producer
David Talbert	Director,Screenwriter,Executive Producer
Gabrielle Union	Executive Producer
Jacob Houchen	Sound Editor
Michelle Adams	Casting
George Pierre	Casting
Todd Weaver	Sound Mixer

Editorial Reviews

"All I'm asking is for five days for you all to act like a family," Walter Meyers (Danny Glover), a recent widower and patriarch of a dysfunctional Birmingham brood, pleads with his four bickering adult children as they arrive at his home to spend Christmas week together. And he gets his wish. Unfortunately for Walter, acting like family isn't always pretty. It involves pettiness, jealousy, name-calling, feuds, burnt casseroles, troublesome secrets, gunplay, gossip, complicated romances, and a decapitated (plastic) Santa. And laughter. Lots of laughter. Almost Christmas, written and directed by David E. Talbert (Baggage Claim), begins with an effective title sequence that chronicles the Meyers' idyllic household from 1971, when Walter and his bride Grace wed, to early 2016, when Grace unexpectedly passes away. Fast-forward ten months, and now the Meyers clan are descending on their cherished Alabama homestead to celebrate the Yuletide season for the first time without their beloved matriarch. First to arrive is Aunt May (Mo'Nique), Walter's loud, opinionated sister-in-law, who has traveled the world as a backup singer for the likes of the Rolling Stones and Chaka Khan, and who immediately heads for the liquor cabinet. She knows a storm's a-brewin' and she's going to be prepared. Following her entrance are Walter's squabbling daughters Cheryl (Kimberly Elise) and Rachel (Gabrielle Union); Cheryl's dim-witted hubby Lonnie (J.B. Smoove), whose claim to fame are a brief stint in the NBA and a Croatian-basketball championship ring he uses to flirt with anything in a skirt; Walter's distracted, politicking eldest son Christian (Romany Malco) and his gorgeous wife Sonya (Nicole Ari Parker); and the family's youngest sibling Evan (Jessie T. Usher), a college gridiron star who is addicted to painkillers. Add to the mix three precocious grandchildren and a lovelorn neighbor (Omar Epps), and you have a bountiful recipe for holiday cheers, tears, and jeers. Anyone buying a ticket to Almost Christmas already knows what to expect, and they'll get their money's worth. The movie aims to do nothing more than entertain and splash smiles on the faces of audience members as they exit the theater. And it achieves its dual intentions by doling out generous amounts of hearty laughter as the Meyers' convoluted gathering builds to a hilarious climax around the Christmas dinner table, during which a couple of family-altering secrets come tumbling out. If all of this sounds formulaic and predictable, it is. But Talbert's script is genuinely funny and sincerely moving, and his top-notch ensemble cast bring real depth to what could easily have been stock characters. Leading the way are Mo'Nique -- her scathing, witty put-downs are worth the price of admission alone -- and Smoove, whose hangdog expressions and sharp comic timing, especially during the chaotic holiday meal, are a hoot. And let's not forget Glover: He instills Walter with a quiet strength and dignity that anchor the whole enterprise and keep the shenanigans intact. To say Almost Christmas is funny and heartwarming is, admittedly, a cliché. But that's exactly what it is. It's a surefire cure for the holiday blues.