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This Christmas (film)
Encyclopedia
This Christmas is a 2007 Christmas comedy
-drama film
produced by Rainforest Films and distributed by Screen Gems
. Written, produced and directed by Preston A. Whitmore II
, it is a Christmastime story that centers around the Whitfield family, whose eldest son has come home for the first time in four years. The film is based on the 1971 Donny Hathaway
song of the same name, which is covered by Chris Brown in the film.
judged the film "rotten", with the consensus view being that the film "Has strong performances, but relies too heavily on holiday movie clichés." The score on Metacritic
is 63 out of 100, "Generally favorable reviews". Despite some bad reviews the movie ranked number 2 in the box office (next to Enchanted). The film became a box office hit after opening with $17,958,183. It went on to gross $49,121,934 domestically on a budget of just $13 million.
And Blu-ray Disc
on November 11, 2008, nearly a year after its theatrical release.
joint Clockers. Chris Brown, Laz Alonso, and Columbus Short all starred in the film Stomp the Yard
while Sharon Leal and Loretta Devine both played characters on the hit television series Boston Public
. Keith Robinson, Sharon Leal and Loretta Devine also worked together in the 2006 film Dreamgirls
. Loretta Devine and Regina King were both in Urban Legend
. In 2006, Loretta Devine and Lauren London guest-starred in an episode of Everybody Hates Chris
. Idris Elba, and Jessica Stroup would later go on and work together in the 2008 remake Prom Night
. Jessica Stroup also stars on the CW show 90210
, which features Lauren London as a recurring guest star in several episodes. Columbus Short and Idris Elba later starred together in the 2010 film The Losers
, while Idris Elba and Chris Brown worked together in the 2010 film Takers
. In 2009 Columbus Short worked with Loretta Devine in Death at a Funeral. Again, Loretta Devine and Lauren London would later worked together in 2011 film, Madea's Big Happy Family
.
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
-drama film
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
produced by Rainforest Films and distributed by Screen Gems
Screen Gems
Screen Gems is an American movie production company and subsidiary company of Sony Pictures Entertainment's Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group that has served several different purposes for its parent companies over the decades since its incorporation....
. Written, produced and directed by Preston A. Whitmore II
Preston A. Whitmore II
Preston Alexander Whitmore II is a US screenwriter, producer, and director. Preston is best known for his 2007 comedy-drama This Christmas. The film garnered Preston an NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Directing in 2008.- Filmography :...
, it is a Christmastime story that centers around the Whitfield family, whose eldest son has come home for the first time in four years. The film is based on the 1971 Donny Hathaway
Donny Hathaway
Donny Edward Hathaway was an American soul singer-songwriter and musician. Hathaway contracted with Atlantic Records in 1969 and with his first single for the Atco label, "The Ghetto, Part I" in early 1970, Rolling Stone magazine "marked him as a major new force in soul music."His collaborations...
song of the same name, which is covered by Chris Brown in the film.
Cast
- Loretta DevineLoretta DevineLoretta Devine is an American stage, film and television actress known for her roles on Boston Public, Grey's Anatomy, and Eli Stone. She also provided her voice for the stop motion animated television series The PJs. Devine is a NAACP Image Award and Emmy award winning actress.-Early life:Devine...
as Shirley Ann Whitfield known as Ma'Dere - Delroy LindoDelroy LindoDelroy George Lindo is an English actor and theatre director. Lindo has been nominated for the Tony and Screen Actors Guild awards and has won a Satellite Award...
as Joe Black - Idris ElbaIdris ElbaIdrissa Akuna "Idris" Elba is a British television, theatre, and film actor. He has starred in both British and American productions. Elba grew up in Canning Town, East London. One of his first acting roles was in the soap opera Family Affairs. He has worked in a variety of TV roles including ...
as Quentin Whitfield, Jr. - Regina KingRegina KingRegina King is an American film and television actress. She is well known for her role as Mary Jenkins's studious daughter, Brenda Jenkins, on the 1980s sitcom, 227, and for her critically acclaimed supporting role in the feature film Jerry Maguire...
as Lisa Whitfield-Moore - Sharon LealSharon LealSharon Leal is an American actress and singer. She is best known for her roles in movies such as Dreamgirls, Why Did I Get Married?, Why Did I Get Married Too? and the televisions series Hellcats.-Personal life:...
as Kelli Whitfield - Columbus ShortColumbus ShortColumbus Keith Short, Jr. is an American choreographer, actor, and singer. He choreographed Britney Spears's Onyx Hotel Tour and worked with Brian Friedman...
as Claude Whitfield - Lauren LondonLauren LondonLauren Nicole London is an American film and television actress, model, and occasional music video actress. Beginning her career in music videos and later transitioning into film and television, London earned recognition for her performances in the film ATL as well as the television shows 90210...
as Melanie Whitfield - Chris Brown as Michael Whitfield, known as Baby
- Laz AlonsoLaz AlonsoLazaro "Laz" Alonso is an American film and television actor. He is best known for playing Tsu'tey in James Cameron's science fiction film Avatar. He is also well known for his role as Fenix "Rise" Calderon in the film Fast & Furious. Alonso has had roles in other films such as Jarhead, This...
as Malcolm Moore - Ricky Harris as Cousin Fred Whitfield
- Keith RobinsonKeith Robinson (actor)Keith Robinson is an American actor and R&B singer.-Early life:Robinson was born in Louisville, Kentucky and later moved to Atlanta...
as Devan Brooks - Jessica StroupJessica StroupJessica Leigh Stroup is an American actress and fashion model. Stroup is best known for her role as Erin Silver on The CW television series 90210, a spin-off to the original Beverly Hills, 90210...
as Sandi Whitfield - Lupe OntiverosLupe OntiverosLupe Ontiveros is an American film and television actress. Ontiveros has acted in numerous films and television shows, most often playing a maid or, more recently, an all-knowing grandmother; she estimates she has played a maid between 150 and 300 times on screen.-Early life:Ontiveros was born...
as Rosie - David BannerDavid BannerLavell Crump , better known by his stage name David Banner, is an American rapper, record producer and occasional actor. Banner was born in Jackson, Mississippi and graduated from Southern University. He started his music career as a member of the rap duo, Crooked Lettaz before going solo in 2000...
as Mo - Ronnie WarnerRonnie WarnerRonnie Warner is an American actor, producer and writer.- Actor filmography :* Nora's Hair Salon II...Studio Producer - 2008* This Christmas...Dude - 2007* Puff Puff Pass...Rico - 2006* Threshold...Tazz - 2005...
as Dude - Mekhi PhiferMekhi PhiferMekhi Thira Phifer is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his multi-year role as Dr. Greg Pratt on NBC's long-running medical drama ER and his co-starring role opposite Eminem in the feature film 8 Mile...
as Gerald
Reception
Reviews for the film were generally mixed. As of December 4, 2007, a slim majority of the critics on Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
judged the film "rotten", with the consensus view being that the film "Has strong performances, but relies too heavily on holiday movie clichés." The score on Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
is 63 out of 100, "Generally favorable reviews". Despite some bad reviews the movie ranked number 2 in the box office (next to Enchanted). The film became a box office hit after opening with $17,958,183. It went on to gross $49,121,934 domestically on a budget of just $13 million.
DVD & Blu-ray Release
This Christmas was released on DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
And Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...
on November 11, 2008, nearly a year after its theatrical release.
Miscellaneous
This film marks the on-screen reunion of several cast members. Mekhi Phifer and Delroy Lindo both starred in the Spike LeeSpike Lee
Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee is an American film director, producer, writer, and actor. His production company, 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks, has produced over 35 films since 1983....
joint Clockers. Chris Brown, Laz Alonso, and Columbus Short all starred in the film Stomp the Yard
Stomp the Yard
Stomp the Yard is a 2007 drama and dance film produced by Rainforest Films and released through Sony Pictures' Screen Gems division on January 12, 2007. Directed by Sylvain White, Stomp the Yard centers around DJ Williams, a college student at a fictional historically Black university who pledges...
while Sharon Leal and Loretta Devine both played characters on the hit television series Boston Public
Boston Public
Boston Public is an American drama television series created by David E. Kelley and broadcast on Fox. It centered on Winslow High School, a fictional public high school located in Boston, Massachusetts. The show was named for the real public school district in which it takes place...
. Keith Robinson, Sharon Leal and Loretta Devine also worked together in the 2006 film Dreamgirls
Dreamgirls (film)
Dreamgirls is a 2006 musical drama film, directed by Bill Condon and jointly produced and released by DreamWorks and Paramount Pictures. The film debuted in three special road show engagements beginning December 15, 2006 before its nationwide release on December 25, 2006...
. Loretta Devine and Regina King were both in Urban Legend
Urban Legend (film)
Urban Legend is a 1998 horror film starring Alicia Witt, Rebecca Gayheart, Jared Leto, Michael Rosenbaum, Natasha Gregson Wagner, Loretta Devine, Robert Englund, John Neville, Joshua Jackson, Regina King, and Tara Reid...
. In 2006, Loretta Devine and Lauren London guest-starred in an episode of Everybody Hates Chris
Everybody Hates Chris
Everybody Hates Chris is an African American television period sitcom inspired by the teenage experiences of comedian Chris Rock , while growing up in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York . The show is set from 1982 to 1987; however, Rock himself was a teenager during years...
. Idris Elba, and Jessica Stroup would later go on and work together in the 2008 remake Prom Night
Prom Night (2008 film)
Prom Night is a 2008 horror film from Screen Gems directed by Nelson McCormick and starring Brittany Snow. The film is a re-imagining of the 1980 Canadian horror film of the same name.-Plot:...
. Jessica Stroup also stars on the CW show 90210
90210 (TV series)
90210 is an American teen drama television series developed by Rob Thomas, Jeff Judah and Gabe Sachs, and the fourth series in the Beverly Hills, 90210 franchise created by Darren Star. 90210 is the first series produced by CBS Productions under the company's re-launch, but is now produced by CBS...
, which features Lauren London as a recurring guest star in several episodes. Columbus Short and Idris Elba later starred together in the 2010 film The Losers
The Losers (film)
The Losers is a 2010 American action based on the adaptation of the Vertigo comic book series of the same name by Andy Diggle. Directed by Sylvain White, the film features an ensemble cast that includes Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Zoe Saldana and Chris Evans....
, while Idris Elba and Chris Brown worked together in the 2010 film Takers
Takers
Takers is a 2010 crime film directed by John Luessenhop from a story and screenplay written by Luessenhop, Gabriel Casseus, Peter Allen, John Rogers, and Avery Duff. It features an ensemble cast that includes Matt Dillon, Chris Brown, Idris Elba, T.I., Jay Hernandez, Paul Walker, Hayden...
. In 2009 Columbus Short worked with Loretta Devine in Death at a Funeral. Again, Loretta Devine and Lauren London would later worked together in 2011 film, Madea's Big Happy Family
Madea's Big Happy Family (film)
Tyler Perry's Madea's Big Happy Family is a 2011 comedy-drama film based on Tyler Perry's 2010 play of the same name and the eleventh film in the Tyler Perry film franchise, and the fifth in the Madea franchise.-Plot:...
.
Original Soundtrack
This Christmas Soundtrack was released by Jive Records on November 20, 2007.- This Christmas - Chris Brown - 3:18
- I'll Be Home For Christmas (Waiting On Remix) -Jordin SparksJordin SparksJordin Brianna Sparks is an American pop / R&B singer-songwriter and actress. She hails from Glendale, Arizona who rose to fame as the winner of the sixth season of American Idol. Sparks won when she was 17 years old, making her the youngest winner in Idol history...
- 3:13 - Jingle BellsJingle Bells"Jingle Bells" is one of the best-known and commonly sung winter songs in the world. It was written by James Lord Pierpont and published under the title "One Horse Open Sleigh" in the autumn of 1857...
- B2KB2KB2K was an American R&B music group. The group met in 1998, established in 2001, and managed by music producer Chris Stokes with Lil' Fizz, J-Boog, Raz-B, and Omarion as members. The group disbanded in 2004 due to internal disagreements.-2001-2002: B2K:...
- 3:18 - Try A Little TendernessTry a Little Tenderness"Try a Little Tenderness" is a love song written by Jimmy Campbell, Reg Connelly and Harry M. Woods, and recorded initially on December 8, 1932 by the Ray Noble Orchestra followed by both Ruth Etting and Bing Crosby in 1933...
- Chris Brown - 6:14 - Merry Christmas BabyMerry Christmas Baby"Merry Christmas Baby" is an R & B Christmas standard written by Lou Baxter and Johnny Moore. It has been covered by many artists including Otis Redding, B.B. King, Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley and Hanson. The original 1947 version by Johnny Moore's Three Trailblazers "Merry Christmas Baby" is an R...
- Charles Brown - 4:49 - Silent NightSilent Night"Silent Night" is a popular Christmas carol. The original lyrics of the song "Stille Nacht" were written in Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria, by the priest Father Joseph Mohr and the melody was composed by the Austrian headmaster Franz Xaver Gruber...
- Boney JamesBoney JamesBoney James, is a saxophonist, songwriter and producer who popularized urban jazz...
Feat. Anthony HamiltonAnthony Hamilton (musician)Anthony Hamilton is an American R&B, and soul singer-songwriter, and record producer who rose to fame with his platinum-selling second studio album Comin' from Where I'm From , which featured the singles "Comin' from Where I'm From" and "Charlene."-Life and career:Hamilton was born in Charlotte,...
- 5:16 - Please Come Home For Christmas - Aaron NevilleAaron NevilleAaron Neville is an American soul and R&B singer and musician. He has had four top-20 hits in the United States along with four platinum-certified albums...
- 2:52 - I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You) - Aretha FranklinAretha FranklinAretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All...
- 2:50 - Got To Give It Up, Part 1Got to Give It Up"Got to Give It Up" is a funk/disco song by American recording artist Marvin Gaye. Written by the singer and produced by Art Stewart, it was recorded in three studio dates in 1976 with a final mixing in early 1977...
- Marvin GayeMarvin GayeMarvin Pentz Gay, Jr. , better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and musician with a three-octave vocal range....
- 4:13 - Have Yourself A Merry Little ChristmasHave Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" is a song introduced by Judy Garland in the 1944 MGM musical Meet Me in St. Louis. Frank Sinatra later recorded a version with modified lyrics, which has become more common than the original. The song was written by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane...
- Luther VandrossLuther VandrossLuther Ronzoni Vandross was an American singer-songwriter and record producer. During his career, Vandross sold over twenty-five million albums and won eight Grammy Awards including Best Male R&B Vocal Performance four times...
- 5:05 - The Christmas SongThe Christmas Song"The Christmas Song" is a classic Christmas song written in 1944 by musician, composer, and vocalist Mel Tormé and Bob Wells. According to Tormé, the song was written during a blistering hot summer...
- Toni BraxtonToni BraxtonToni Michelle Braxton is an American R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Braxton has won six Grammy Awards, seven American Music Awards, and five Billboard Music Awards and has sold over 60 million records worldwide...
- 3:25 - Santa BabySanta Baby"Santa Baby" is a 1953 Christmas song written by Joan Javits and Philip Springer. Although Tony Springer is listed as co-writer, he was a legal fiction created for purposes of membership in the performing rights organization BMI.The song is a tongue-in-cheek look at a Christmas list sung by a...
- Lina Wade - 3:20 - Sleigh RideSleigh Ride"Sleigh Ride" is a popular light orchestral piece composed by Leroy Anderson. The composer had the original idea for the piece during a heat wave in July 1946; he finished the work in February 1948. Lyrics, about a person who would like to ride in a sleigh on a winter's day with another person,...
- TLCTLC (band)TLC is an American musical trio whose repertoire spanned R&B, hip-hop, soul, funk, and new jack swing. Originally consisting of singer Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins, rapper-singer Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes and singer Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas it found success in the 1990s while also enduring a series of spats...
- 3:44 - O Holy NightO Holy Night"O Holy Night" is a well-known Christmas carol composed by Adolphe Adam in 1847 to the French poem "Minuit, chrétiens" by Placide Cappeau , a wine merchant and poet, who had been asked by a parish priest to write a Christmas poem...
- Denetria Champ - 4:33 - Twinkle Twinkle Little Me - Stevie WonderStevie WonderStevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
- 3:16
Awards and nominations
- Asian Excellence AwardsAsian Excellence AwardsThe Asian Excellence Awards is an annual celebration of the outstanding achievements of Asians and Asian Americans in film, television, music, and the performing arts. The Asian Excellence Awards is the only nationally televised event celebrating significant Asian and Asian American achievements in...
- Outstanding Actress in a Movie: (Sharon Leal), Winner
- Image Awards
- Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture: (Loretta Devine), Nominated
- Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture: (Preston A Whitmore II), Nominated
- MTV Movie Awards
- Breakthrough Performance: (Chris Brown), Nominated