For the most part, Christmas movies tend to share many of the same characteristics. They often exist to show the magic of the holiday season, the importance of family and loved ones during these moments, or impart the message that giving is more important than receiving. In director Tyler Taormina’s Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point, we get those elements that create some of the best Christmas movies, yet Taormina (who co-wrote the script with Eric Berger) also includes a key element of the season that most holiday films forget about: the melancholy of Christmas.

As we gather around with loved ones, we naturally become nostalgic for the moments we’ve shared before, the holidays we’ve spent together, and the ones we’ve lost along the way. And with the year wrapping up, it’s also hard not to take stock and remember what goals have been pushed off for another year, or dreams that still haven’t had any forward momentum. These feelings aren’t necessarily the driving factor of Christmas, but it’s hard to avoid in a season so reliant on memories, family, and the sentimentality of the period. With Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point, we get the makings of a low-key Christmas movie favorite but imbued with moroseness that too many yuletide favorites easily forget about.

What Is ‘Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point’ About?

Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point begins by introducing us to a family, Kathleen (Maria Dizzia), Lenny (Ben Shenkman), and their daughter, Emily (Matilda Fleming). They’re racing to get to Kathleen’s family’s Christmas Eve get-together in Long Island, where this large Italian-American clan will eat together, share memories, unwrap presents, and generally appreciate each other’s company over the holiday. There’s a lived-in quality to this event, as traditions happen that we can tell have been part of this celebration for decades, with inside jokes that have lasted over the years, and unspoken dynamics that everyone is tacitly familiar with.

Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point doesn’t quite have a classic narrative; instead, Taromina throws us into this scenario with these people during Christmas Eve and lets us in on this family event in all its glory. This often feels like small vignettes all collected into one larger story (think the films of Bill Ross IV and Turner Ross, like Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets, or this year’s Gasoline Rainbow, but a bit more free-flowing than that), as we meander around this family and their time together.

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Taormina and Berger’s screenplay feels like a collection of memories transcribed onto the screen. Much like the family videos that are brought out on old staticky VHS tapes, these two have seemingly recreated their past in its simplistic glory. In doing this, Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point is fairly straightforward in its presentation. We watch this family; we go off with Emily and the other teens as they try to avoid another lame Christmas Eve party together, all while the town’s cops (played by the sullen Michael Cera and Gregg Turkington) keep a close eye. Still, this is certainly a film more about recreating a timeless vibe of holidays past than it is about telling a deep story.

‘Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point’ Embraces the Sadness of the Holidays
Image via IFC Films

But in exploring that spirit, we get these beautiful, relatable moments of melancholy that feel more honest than most Christmas films dare to attempt. At one point in Emily’s trip outside the family celebration, she lets a Christmas present go to waste, and we can see that this is a memory that will stick with her for years to come; a moment of teenage rebellion that is immediately regretted. Or at one point, we watch a family member sullenly looking out the window into the night, as everyone else in the family goes on a journey together, and even though she doesn’t speak a word, we can tell she’s having a somber reflection on the season. This sadness is an integral part of the holidays for so many, and it’s great to see a movie successfully try and recreate that emotion in cinematic form.

Yet Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point is first and foremost an uncynical look at the wonder of the holiday, how it brings us together, and the moments that we remember for years to come. In one sequence, we watch as the entire neighborhood gathers on the street in hopes that the illuminated neighborhood fire trucks will pass by. It’s clear this is an event that happens annually, and as the neighborhood questions whether the tradition will end this year, the trucks come around the corner, speeding by, still leaving their impression on the kids watching with glasses that make everything in their vision sparkle. We see the wonder in the experience of the kids, but we also get the viewpoint of the adults, who, after a few short seconds, are left cold and in the dark.

Taormina and Berger find an excellent balance to aptly recreate this Christmas Eve tradition. One moment, the family might be gathered around sharing rumors, stories, and presents, and in a few minutes, brothers and sisters might be fighting away from the party about what to do with their mother as she gets older, and the conflict that arises in trying to know what to do with loved ones.

‘Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point’s Structure Might be Too Relaxed for Some
Image via IFC Films

While Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point absolutely nails the tone it’s going for in crafting a fairly realistic look at holidays that we don’t usually get, its naturalistic presentation of this event can feel a bit too formless at times. With so many characters and multiple moments to capture, the film can sometimes lack focus, making it difficult to latch onto anything with any real depth. As one storyline starts to formulate, Taormina’s camera moves to the next moment that needs to be remembered. This choice manages to recreate the feeling of a frantic holiday party, but it can leave the viewer with the feeling that they’re not getting much more than a healthy dose of the Christmas spirit.

Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point manages to bring to life a realistic portrayal of the holidays, in both its ups and downs, that few holiday films ever even try to accomplish. It might not allow for the strongest narratives or character development, but that’s not really the point of the holidays. It’s about being with the ones you love, embracing both their good and their bad for just a few nights. It’s a lovely concept that makes Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point a smart, understated holiday film unlike many others.

Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point Christmas Eve in MIller’s Point feels like a return home for the holidays, complete with unexpected melancholy.ProsChristmas Eve in Miller’s Point embraces the sadness that comes with the holidays.Uniquely structured in a way that feels like visiting friends for Christmas. ConsThe way the story is told might make it hard to latch onto any characters or the storylines.

Release Date November 15, 2024 Director Tyler Taormina Cast Michael Cera , Elsie Fisher , Maria Dizzia , Ben Shenkman , Sawyer Spielberg , Francesca Scorsese , Gregg Turkington , Lev Cameron Runtime 106 Minutes

Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point is now playing in theaters. Click below for showtimes.

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