Four generations of the same family come together to celebrate Christmas with a series of parties, prompted by the youngest female in the family Savannah (Natasha Bure). The four women – Marie (Anna Ferguson), Joan (Cheryl Ladd), Kristi (Kate Craven) and Savannah – along with their partners, arrange festive get-togethers themed around the 40s, 60s, 90s and the present day to honour their family and understand what it was like for each of the women as they grew up.
Great American Family always puts family at the heart of everything they do and ‘A Christmas for the Ages’ is perhaps the best embodiment of that among its festive slate. Produced by Candace Cameron Bure and starring her daughter Natasha, the film is an exploration of four women in the same family and their relationships with one another. As we all know, Christmas brings out the best and the worst in people, and it also makes them reflective of what has come before. ‘A Christmas for the Ages’ combines both nostalgia and family drama for perhaps one of the most original holiday films this year.
It’s clear from the outset that the four lead women have a strong bond but there’s also evidence of cracks, particularly between matriarch Marie and her daughter Joan. The two women have had trouble over the years being emotionally open with one another, and that’s brought to a head during the film when Marie announces she has a new boyfriend. That doesn’t sit well with Joan and the two women have to sort out the complications that have lain dormant between them for years.
Savannah sees an opportunity not only to learn about her family, and how Christmas has been for them, but to introduce her new boyfriend Rudy (Anthony Timpano) to the family. First meeting Marie, Rudy then meets the rest of the family at the first of their four festive celebrations. There’s a nice parallel between Savannah’s blossoming romance and the burgeoning romance her great grandmother Marie is enjoying. As the parties progress, the family gets into deep discussion about the true meaning of Christmas and they share their favourite traditions.
As the film plays out more like a stage play (and it could easily be translated to that in the future), it’s the performances of the cast that everything hangs on. You have to believe the dynamic between these four women and director Martin Wood gets strong performances out of them. Cheryl Ladd has the most star power and she gives a performance worthy of the mighty career that she has worked hard to build. Natasha Bure, in her first leading film role, impresses as the wide-eyed Savannah who is navigating love for the first time. Kate Craven and Anna Ferguson bring considerable weight to their roles, with each able to balance the many roles their characters hold in the family hierarchy.
‘A Christmas for the Ages’ definitely veers more onto the sentimental side of the holidays and for some I’m sure this will be an emotional watch. It’s very different from the romance-heavy Great American Family slate and airing at the end of the Thanksgiving Weekend, it’s sure to make viewers feel reflective about their own families. The story told here is quite original and ‘A Christmas for the Ages’ can be enjoyed by viewers of all ages.
Cast: Natasha Bure, Anna Ferguson, Kate Craven Cheryl Ladd, Anthony Timpano Director: Martin Wood Writer: Jim Head Certificate: Unrated Duration: 85 mins Released by: Great American Family Release date: 26th November 2023
Find out more about ‘A Christmas for the Ages’ at https://www.greatamericanfamily.com/movie/a-christmas-for-the-ages/.
