Common Sense Media Review
By Andrea Beach
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Wholesome but awkward holiday tale with mild potty humor.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 7+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Letters at Christmas
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
LETTERS AT CHRISTMAS is the story of Jason (Dean Cain) and Nadia (Janeshia Adams-Ginyard) trying to sell a run-down but historic hotel they own so that they can afford the divorce they're in the middle of. Teen daughter Nicole (Hanna Huffman) and tween son Luke (Raejon Jones) are struggling to understand why. At the hotel the kids discover some toys and letters that a couple of kids exchanged about 70 years ago. As they grew older, romance bloomed and the two letter writers fell in love. So Nicole and Luke hatch a scheme to get their parents to write letters to each other in hopes that they'll fall in love again. But will the plan work before the new owners of the hotel come to tear it down?
Is It Any Good?
This holiday tale is family-friendly but it's not destined to become a classic. There's a sweet depiction of a pretty wholesome family, and the inclusive casting is a plus.
Beyond that, it starts to fall apart thanks to a weak story that doesn't make much sense. Things happen because of, or people are motivated by, reasons that are hard to explain, and the movie doesn't ever explain these things. The dialogue is awkward, unrealistic sounding, and many times doesn't follow logic or move the story along. There's no real chemistry between the two stars, and most of the acting is as awkward as the dialogue. Plus, the film could give kids unrealistic ideas about divorced parents reuniting. With so many better holiday movies out there, you can safely swipe past this one.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how the Lawrence family handles their divorce in Letters at Christmas. Do you think they handle it well? Do you think it's realistic that the kids helped them fall back in love?
Michael and Laura experience racism because Michael's family is from Mexico. That was a long time ago, but do you think many people still have the same prejudiced attitudes today? What has changed, or what can we do to change things for the better?
Why are movies about romance at Christmastime so popular? What do we love about them? What are some of your favorites?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : November 26, 2024
- Cast : Dean Cain , Janeshia Adams-Ginyard , Hanna Huffman
- Director : Jim Burleson
- Studio : Lionsgate Home Entertainment
- Genre : Family and Kids
- Topics : Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Holidays
- Run time : 84 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : thematic elements.
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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