Below are minor spoilers for That Christmas, a new holiday film that was released as part of the 2024 movie schedule. If you're not familiar with it, check it out with a Netflix subscription.
If you've been on Netflix over the last couple of days, you've probably realized that there are some new movies, one of which is That Christmas. This cute little holiday film teaches plenty of valuable themes that are applicable to both family and friends, and one of those ideals pertains to loneliness during the holidays. On that note, co-screenwriter Richard Curtis shared a hilariously blunt answer when CinemaBlend asked for advice for those who feel lonely during the holidays.
Richard Curtis is no stranger to holiday fare, as he wrote and directed arguably one of the best Christmas movies ever, Love, Actually. Aside from the Genie remake he did last year, That Christmas is the first new original holiday film from the iconic screenwriter in years and tells the story of several individuals who try to make the best out of a particular Christmas when a blizzard strikes their town and turns their lives upside down.
One of the subplots revolves around Danny and Miss Trapper, two very different individuals who both experience various types of loneliness during the holidays but end up coming together to make it special for someone else. I had the chance to talk with Curtis about what he felt viewers should take away from these two characters helping each other during their time of need and how to deal with loneliness during the holiday season. Needless to say, his answer was quite straightforward:
That's tough, because one of the things this movie is about is about smaller communities. And I do think it's really one of the things we're really missing when you live in the city – is not having the people that you necessarily will just bump into at your village store and in your village school, and everything like that. So I suppose my advice to people who are finding life difficult is to move to the country. That's my advice.
A key element of That Christmas is that it takes place in a small little town called Wellington-on-Sea, so everyone knows everyone. It was easy for someone like Danny, a young boy with a mother working on Christmas, and Miss Trapper, a misunderstood widow, to become a duo and make Christmas memorable for Danny's mother.
Honestly, as blunt as Richard Curtis may, sound he's arguably onto something. Funny enough, there are plenty of fun little Netflix films that take place in small towns. The dominant Hot Frosty did and so do several other big Hallmark Christmas films, in which the main storyline always feels like a big city person goes to the country and falls in love with it. Heck, I wouldn't be shocked if there are upcoming Netflix movies and TV shows with the same premise. So perhaps finding that small-town feel is truly all someone needs to do in order to combat loneliness.
That being said, the holidays are a complicated time for some, and That Christmas also does a good job of conveying that. Maybe we'll start with a cute little Christmas movie night to share with friends before we decide to move to a small town, huh?
Regardless, That Christmas is undoubtedly one of the best Netflix original Christmas movies, and it features Brian Cox as Santa. Additionally, you'll be taken in by the film's big heart and maybe even learn a lesson or two. And who knows, you might end up wanting to move to the country, just like Richard Curtis suggested.
