Holiday dramedy has some innuendo, emotional intensity.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Sex, Romance & Nudity
some
Suggestive banter mentions a "naughty list" and "moving the furniture" (after beds were rocking at night). Couples flirt, kiss, and feel jealousy. A man says he likes it when other men find his wife attractive. A woman ogles a man's body.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.
A character is grieving the death of a loved one. Scenes show a karate instructor kicking people in the face. A woman drops out of a second-story window into the snow. Two women ride a hot air balloon and have near accidents while in the air, including one hanging from a dangling ladder. A little boy disappears for a short amount of time. A woman slides on ice in her car and veers off the road into a snowbank.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.
Two lead characters are played by well-known Black singer-actor Brandy Norwood and a Latino actor whose character is presumably Mexican and speaks with an accent in English, peppering his speech with Spanish phrases. She's independently wealthy after selling her successful aviation business, while he's a karate instructor. Their daughter, supposedly the youngest person ever to attend Harvard (a genius at age 10), is investigating whether Santa exists. Women and girls work in STEM fields and are smarter and more successful than their male counterparts. Characters put on a holiday performance (Brandy sings).
Find gratitude for what you have and count your blessings. Nothing positive comes from jealousy. Believe in yourself. Take chances.
Positive Role Models
some
Charlotte seems dissatisfied with the way her life has turned out, and she must learn to be thankful for what she does have, which includes a loving family and friends. On the flip side, Jackie seems to have it all, and brags about it in a holiday newsletter every year. But she has suffered some losses Charlotte doesn't know about. Parents conspire to make their kids believe in Santa Claus.
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Best. Christmas. Ever! is a holiday movie starring Brandy Norwood, Heather Graham, and Jason Biggs. Although it seems to be a family movie, the film's messages about finding gratitude and satisfaction no matter your circumstances in life seem more targeted toward an adult audience. A child prodigy (Madison Skye Validum) is investigating whether Santa really exists (the film lets the kids continue believing, with parent involvement). She's just one of the female characters working in STEM fields who seem smarter and more successful than their male counterparts. Main characters are White, Black, and Latino. Suggestive banter includes mention of a "naughty list" and a repeated euphemism about "moving the furniture" (after beds rock at night from sex). Couples flirt, kiss, feel jealousy, and a woman ogles a man's body. Potentially scary content includes a boy who runs away but is quickly found, and a woman nearly falling out of a hot air balloon. There's some emotional intensity with a character grieving the death of a loved one. Adults drink wine. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
DONT WATCH WITH BELIEVERS!
Shocked that this was rated pg. The very obvious sex scene. This does NOT belong on netflix kids and Im shocked that they would include it. Do your kids believe in Santa? If you want to keep it that way Id suggest skipping this one!
The movie was just bad. There were plot points that made no sense, it was mostly nonsensical, and some characters were a bit irredeemable. There was also some explaining I had to do with my 9 year old.
What's the Story?
Former college friends reunite in BEST. CHRISTMAS. EVER! But their reunion isn't planned, and Charlotte (Heather Graham), married to Rob (Jason Biggs), is a mother of two whose life hasn't turned out quite like she'd hoped. She finds herself feeling jealous of Jackie (Brandy Norwood). Jackie is successful and wealthy, married to hunk Valentino (Matt Cedeño), and their children are prodigies, especially daughter Beatrix (Madison Skye Validum). But not all is at is appears on the surface, and spending the holidays together will teach them to appreciate what they have in life -- and maybe to believe in the Christmas spirit as well.
This is a film that probably reads better on paper than it plays on screen due to some awkward pacing and clunky editing, but a more serious second half allows for a heartwarming ending.The characters in Best. Christmas. Ever! had potential -- college friends and past lovers, now middle-aged, reunite and find themselves comparing their lives. But the reality turns out to be more complex than what each sees on the surface. This seems like such a timely and important message during the season of gratitude and in the social media age (here, a holiday newsletter provides the forum for humble bragging).
The film also boasts some elements of Christmas charm, mostly in the form of an implausible hot air balloon ride and some very cute children who believe in Santa. All of this comes in the second half of the film, creating a tonal shift from the more comedic first half. Graham and Cedeño are tasked with most of the funny scenarios and lines, and they handle them fine (Cedeño feels like a discovery here, while Norwood and Biggs are subdued). But the film doesn't fully exploit its cast or its humor. Other scenes are oddly truncated, like a supposed Santa appearance or a near car accident and the appearance out of nowhere of an angel character that doesn't seem to have much purpose or resolution.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the main messages of Best. Christmas. Ever! What does Charlotte learn from her time at Jackie's?
Beatrix and Grant are investigating whether Santa really exists. What do they conclude, and why? What is Charlotte's role in this? Do you believe in Santa Claus?
Lead actress Brandy Norwood is a well-known R&B singer and former teen star. What other musical artists have crossed over into acting that you know of?
What's your favorite holiday movie? How does this one compare?
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Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
By Jennifer Green
,
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