Christmas Vs the Walters (DVD) Review

Diane Walters (Shawnee Smith) has a year-long obsession to create the perfect Christmas for her family. When her husband is sent away on business and her eccentric doctor confines her to bed rest, she races against the clock to craft another memorable celebration.

Peter D’Amato directs from a screenplay written with Ante Novakovic, and the film is produced by Rob Simmons of JARS Media Group and DJ Dodd of Future Proof Films along with Novakovic. Safier Entertainment has acquired worldwide distribution rights for the film.

Starring Shawnee Smith and Bruce Dern, this holiday-themed dramedy stars Smith as Diane, a perfectionist expectant mother who spends each Christmas planning her family’s perfect celebration. She is pressured by her obnoxious neighbor to outdo herself with decorations, and her husband, Brian (Dean Winters), toils at a demanding job.

As her family starts to fall apart around her, Diane struggles to make things better. She gets help from her sister Kate (Betsy Beutler), who wants to see Diane’s 15-year-old daughter Abby (Paris Bravo) have a great time. She also receives help from her mother (Caroline Aaron), who helps out with her garden.

Parents need to know that this movie contains a lot of scenes with arguing, tension and stress. It may also contain sporadic language, such as „s–t,“ „ass,“ „damn,“ „crap,“ and more.

Despite its flaws, this movie has fun characters and a sweet, family-friendly vibe that makes it worth watching. Its bargain-bin visual style and flat jokes occasionally miss the mark, but it has a solid cast and good cheer that will brighten your holiday season.

Its characters are clearly upper-middle-class, but the snobbery doesn’t come across as smug or condescending. And despite the avowedly non-religious vibe, Diane’s Jewish heritage is well-known and appreciated, which may be why she feels so compelled to celebrate the holiday with her family.

The chemistry among the cast is strong and their shared, familial history comes through. The movie also offers some of the most authentic, realistic family dynamics I’ve seen in a movie in a long time, which makes it an enjoyable watch.

The movie doesn’t have any real violence, but arguing and tension are present. In addition, one character — while dressed up as Santa — drinks from a flask and appears drunk. The movie has a sprinkling of inappropriate/sex-related dialogue, and it’s filled with anxiety, tension, and stress.