An Almost Christmas Story movie review

MOVIE TITLE: An Almost Christmas Story

This charming animated short releases on November 15, 2024 on the Disney channel.

RATING: G

LENGTH: 24 minutes

Movie Review Mom GRADE: A

IN A NUTSHELL:

The story is about a curious, young owl who gets lost from her family in the middle of New York City. She befriends a lost human girl. Together, they embark on an adventure to find the owl’s tree that has been cut down to decorate the famous Rockefeller Plaza.

The film was directed by David Lowery, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Jack Thorne.

THINGS I LIKED:

Kids haven’t seen this kind of animation in a long time. The charming animation is unique and charming. Almost all of the textures look like they were made out of corrugated cardboard.
Jim Gaffigan! I love that the famous and beloved comedian has been stretching his wings by doing drama and now, animation. He voices “Papa Owl”. Adorable.
I also instantly recognized the narrator/folk singer: John C. Reilly. His folksy voice is perfect for this film.
Other talented cast members who lend their magical voices to this story are Cary Christopher, Estella Madrigal, Natasha Lyonne, Phil Rosenthal, Mamoudou Athie, Alex Ross Perry, and Gianna Joseph.
The visionary Alfonso Cuaron was one of the producers on this project.
I love it when New York City is one of the characters in a movie. I’ve been to the city many times, but never around Christmas time. One of these days!

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

While adults will appreciate the style of animation that makes so many things look like wood and other natural elements, the brown color palette may not appeal to young children. Challenge your kids to see if they can create similar forest creatures out of cardboard.
The film was way too short!

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

Parents might need to point out how unique this animation style is so they can appreciate it more.
A little owl is in danger when he hurts his wing.

THEMES:

Christmas traditions
Home
Family
Friendship
Love

INTERESTING LINES:

“Have you ever wondered what makes a Christmas story a Christmas story?” – narrator (John C. Reilly)
You know how you feel at this time of year: a little bit happy, a little bit sad. Maybe you can’t even put it into words, but if you try, maybe you could put it into a song.” – narrator (John C. Reilly)
“Now, this song I’m about to sing, well, it’s mostly nonsense. But the parts that are not nonsense…they mean quite a lot.” – narrator (John C. Reilly)
“You think you know what’s out there, but you have no idea.” – Papa Owl (Jim Gaffigan)
“What’s Christmas?” – Papa Owl (Jim Gaffigan) “I don’t actually know but I think it’s what this is.” (Little Moon hugs his family) Cary Christopher