A Christmas Number One
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A Christmas Number One
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this movie.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that A Christmas Number One is a British festive romantic comedy with drinking, strong language, sexual references, and a teen with a terminal illness. At the heart of the story is teenager Nina (Helena Zengel) who encourages her musician uncle, Blake (Iwan Rheon), to channel his talents into something positive. Nina encourages Blake to open up emotionally as she hopes to matchmake him with record agent Meghna (Freida Pinto). There is drinking to excess and strong language including "f---ing" and "s--t," as well as sexual references. There are scenes in which characters are humiliated and also tied to a chair and threatened, though there is no strong violence. There is frequent use of social media, though it is shown to be a helpful coping mechanism for Nina who it is revealed has terminal cancer. Spoiler alert: Nina dies from her illness and there are scenes where she is shown wearing an oxygen mask with tubes in her nose, as well as her funeral. Overall, the film is well-intentioned, though has some themes that may be upsetting for younger viewers.
Community Reviews
Horribly depressing
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What's the Story?
In A CHRISTMAS NUMBER ONE, Meghna (Freida Pinto) is transferred from the U.S. to the U.K. office of a record label to save the career of a struggling boyband by finding them the perfect festive hit. She finally hears a contender when a teenage fan, Nina (Helena Zengel), shares one her uncle Blake (Iwan Rheon) has written online. It becomes Nina's dream to get the song to number one, but she has another wish for her uncle too ... Could Meghna be the person to help with both?
Is It Any Good?
At the beating heart of this festive romance is a teen with a positive outlook and sparkling energy. In A Christmas Number One, it's easy to root for Zengel's Nina and her Christmas wish, even before we discover she may not make it to the holidays. Zengel has proven in her past roles -- in the likes of News of the World -- that she can mesmerize on-screen and more than hold her own among a more experienced adult cast. Here she flips seamlessly between pop-obsessed teen and wise sage, and the warmth she rustles up with Rheon as her uncle really gives the film the emotional intensity that sets it apart from some more superficial Christmas fare.
Elsewhere, there are some fun moments. Musical theater star Alfie Boe perfectly embodies sleazy record exec Grainger Cocksmith and there is some impressively bad behavior from the clueless boyband drunk on the success of one good album, but unaware of how quickly their fortunes might change. It very much plays by the rules and there are likely to be few surprises as it heads toward the finale. But it certainly nails the feel good and bittersweet combo that makes a holiday movie really hit home.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how A Christmas Number One used social media as part of the story structure. How was Nina's relationship with social media portrayed? Discuss the pros and cons of social media.
Discuss the strong language used. Did it seem necessary or excessive? What did it contribute to the movie?
How did the film portray characters who were living with disabilities or were suffering from illnesses? Did they seem like realistic portrayals? Did you think it empowered them, and if so how?
Talk about how the movie presented drinking. Did you think any of the characters drank too much? Were there consequences for what they did?
Discuss the lessons characters learned during the film. Can you think of other Christmas movies with similar themes and messages?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: December 10, 2021
- Cast: Freida Pinto, Iwan Rheon, Helena Zengel
- Director: Chris Cottam
- Studio: Sky Cinema
- Genre: Romance
- Topics: Holidays, Music and Sing-Along
- Character Strengths: Courage, Integrity
- Run time: 112 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: February 28, 2022
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