There is an interesting line in That Christmas that essentially ties the three plots of the film together. It says that Christmas is that time of the year that is jovial and lively only if you have people around you. If not, then the cold vibes of the season are directly proportional to loneliness and depression. From the midst of things, this sentiment is echoed by two characters – the young teenager Danny, who often sees himself like a misfit in school, while suffering from bouts of loneliness at home wherein his family is broken and his loving mother often has to step away for hospital duties. The second is Mrs Trapper, a coarse school teacher who is seemingly strict to her students while quietly living a life of solitude after her husband’s demise. Somewhere down the timeline, these two characters look out for each other, but the contrasting moods of the festive season arise from a bunch of other characters. You are introduced to the twins Sam and Charlie, one being sedate and the other naughty and rebellious, who eventually have contrasting personalities even as Danny quietly has feelings for one of them. The town also comprises of a group of kids who are generally shown in celebratory mode, at the onset of the holiday season, in this drama that is essentially narrated from the perspective of a hindsight!

The spirit of Christmas acts as a driving force in the drama even as the familiar conflict of a blizzard engulfs the town, while changing the trajectory of the drama with respect to its characters. The drama does rely on the character dynamics between its characters – the one between Danny and Mrs Trapper forms the major dynamic out of the other frivolous ones, wherein the two begin their chronicles on a false-note after the former lands up in school on an uncalled holiday for the children, only for the two to bond over a physics lesson behind the trappings of a snowman. Elsewhere, the parents of the town decide to take some ‘Us-Time’ off from their children, only to meet with an accident and be left stranded in the middle of nowhere, while their children are left to fend for themselves at home in a classic ‘Home Alone’ setup. The drama also offers a slight character arc with respect to Sam and Charlie, wherein Charlie decides to sacrifice her gift for Sam, assuming that Santa ‘got the wrong twin’ for being ‘naughty’, only for the favour to be returned by Sam at a later point. The conflicts are simple but endearing.

One little criticism that I had with respect to the writing was that it didn’t quite have a focused narration with respect to a handful of characters. So while the plot-points of Danny, Sam, Charlie and Mrs Trapper work for , the rest of the characters are used as fillers, or ironically as comic reliefs. A little focus on each of these characters could had a greater impact in the drama, particularly because the conflict with respect to the children doesn’t take-off until the final act. This, while the phase representing the hilariously dangerous chronicles of the parents meets with a convenient solution. However, I liked how the central theme of Christmas, which is togetherness, came in the wake of a seeking premise that eventually united the scattered town (and the narrative) together. It was filled with warmth and care which are the key ingredients of the festive season while celebrating the flavour of togetherness, thereby beautifully summed up in a screenplay that makes for an enjoyable watch.