This Christmas (film)
| This Christmas | |
|---|---|
 Promotional poster | |
| Directed by | Preston A. Whitmore II |
| Produced by |
Preston A. Whitmore II Will Packer |
| Written by | Preston A. Whitmore II |
| Starring |
Delroy Lindo Idris Elba Loretta Devine Chris Brown Columbus Short Regina King Sharon Leal Lauren London Jessica Stroup Keith Robinson |
| Cinematography | Alexander Gruszynski |
| Edited by | Paul Seydor |
| Distributed by | Screen Gems / Rainforest Films |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 119 Minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $13 million |
| Box office | $49,778,552 |
This Christmas is a 2007 American Christmas romantic musical 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 on the Whitfield family, whose eldest son has come home for the first time in four years. The film is based on the 1970 Donny Hathaway song of the same name, which is covered by Chris Brown in the film.
Cast
- Loretta Devine as Shirley Ann Whitfield known as Ma'Dere
- Delroy Lindo as Joe Black
- Idris Elba as Quentin Whitfield, Jr.
- Regina King as Lisa Whitfield-Moore
- Sharon Leal as Kelli Whitfield
- Columbus Short as Claude Whitfield
- Lauren London as Melanie Whitfield
- Chris Brown as Michael Whitfield, AKA Baby
- Laz Alonso as Malcolm Moore
- Ricky Harris as Cousin Fred Whitfield
- Keith Robinson as Devan Brooks
- Jessica Stroup as Sandi Whitfield
- Lupe Ontiveros as Rosie
- David Banner as Mo
- Ronnie Warner as Dude
- Mekhi Phifer as Gerald
Reception
Reviews for the film were generally mixed. As of December 4, 2007, a slim majority of the critics on Rotten Tomatoes judged the film "rotten", with the consensus view being that the film "Has strong performances, but relies too heavily on holiday movie clichés."[1] The score on Metacritic is 63 out of 100, "Generally favorable reviews".[2] 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.[3] It went on to gross $49,121,934 domestically on a budget of just $13 million.[4]
DVD and Blu-ray release
This Christmas was released on DVD and Blu-ray Disc on November 11, 2008.
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 Sparks - 3:13
- Jingle Bells - B2K - 3:18
- Try a Little Tenderness - Chris Brown - 6:14
- Merry Christmas Baby - Charles Brown - 4:49
- Silent Night - Boney James Feat. Anthony Hamilton - 5:16
- Please Come Home for Christmas - Aaron Neville - 2:52
- I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You) - Aretha Franklin - 2:50
- Got to Give It Up, Part 1 - Marvin Gaye - 4:13
- Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - Luther Vandross - 5:05
- The Christmas Song - Toni Braxton - 3:25
- Santa Baby - Lina - 3:20
- Sleigh Ride - TLC - 3:44
- O Holy Night - Denetria Champ - 4:33
Awards and nominations
- Asian Excellence Awards
- 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
References
- ↑ No byline, rottentomatoes.com, This Christmas. Accessed 4 December 2007.
- ↑ No byline, metacritic.com, This Christmas. Accessed 4 December 2007.
- ↑ The Numbers - US Movie Box Office Chart Weekend of November 23, 2007
- ↑ This Christmas - Box Office Data, Movie News, Cast Information - The Numbers