Common Sense Media Review
By Renee Schonfeld
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Energetic family comedy lacks depth; mild language.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
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Holiday Rush
What's the Story?
Popular radio D.J. Rush Williams (Romany Malco) is shattered when his show is canceled just before Christmas in HOLIDAY RUSH. A corporate giant has purchased the local station which airs it; Rush and his producing partner Roxy Richardson (Sonequa Martin-Green) are out. Rush's motherless four kids, who have been living an affluent life and are beyond spoiled, are crushed. It's up to Rush and Roxy to best the corporate giant, and Rush, with caretaker Auntie Jo (Darlene Love) and Roxy at his side, to see the kids through to a Christmas with new meaning and joy.
Is It Any Good?
In spite of its conventional Christmas message, uneven performances, and a routine story about one-upping farcical corporate greed, this comedy offers some heartwarming moments. The premise is thin -- giving up a cold mansion filled with goodies to move to a lovely middle-class home with "only a six-foot Christmas tree" wouldn't be a tragedy for most. And a last-minute emotional reveal is a convenience at best. Still, there are few African American family movies and Holiday Rush should appeal to all ethnicities, so it will find an audience.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the music in Holiday Rush. How does our familiarity with carols and songs enrich our experience of a movie? Think about how you feel when you hear the sounds of Christmas.
There are several instances in which we hear: "It's not what you got, it's what you got around you." What does this mean? How does the movie demonstrate its message?
How do the filmmakers use the character of Auntie Jo to represent the "true meaning of Christmas" in this story?
Corporations and greedy executives are often portrayed as movie villains. Why are they easy targets? Do you think people have a natural resentment toward people with power and/or money? Why?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : November 28, 2019
- Cast : Romany Malco , Sonequa Martin-Green , Darlene Love
- Director : Leslie Small
- Inclusion Information : Black Movie Actor(s) , Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Netflix
- Genre : Comedy
- Topics : Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Holidays
- Run time : 93 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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