Story
Despite the best efforts of Papa Owl (voice of John Gaffigan), who tries to keep his owlings hidden and safe, little Moon (voice of Cory Christopher) just wants to be seen. He adores all things shiny and sparkling and isn’t interested in worrying about the dangers around him.
When he accidentally destroys the family nest he disobeys his father and sets out to fix it, only to be attacked by a falcon before he gets very far. Papa Owl comes to his rescue but not before Moon’s wing is broken in the attack. Moon hides in the hollow of a tall tree but the tree is chopped down, loaded onto a truck and driven to New York City before his father can return for him.
Moon is awed by all the glitz and sparkle when he awakens and finds himself in the Christmas tree in front of Rockefeller Center. He falls from his perch in a hollow onto an ice rink. While escaping the skaters, Moon is accosted by 3 pigeons. He loses his way while trying to escape from them. Seeking refuge on a subway, he encounters Luna (voice of Estella Madrigal), who is also lost and struggling with a handicap. Together the pair forge an unlikely friendship as they try to find their place in the world as well as their respective ways back home.
Themes
Children separated from parents; segregation; survival of the fittest; disability and being different
Violence
An Almost Christmas Story has some violence. For example:
- Moon is attacked by a falcon.
- Moon falls onto an ice-skating rink and is nearly hit repeatedly by ice-skaters.
- Moon is repeatedly told that he ‘Should go back to where he belongs’.
- Three antagonistic pigeons say that they will fight Moon and they aggressively stalk him till he flees.
- Three pigeons chase Moon through the streets of New York where he is nearly hit by cars, nearly flies into objects and people, falls down flights of stairs, and is knocked by a subway car through a window and onto a train.
- Both Luna and Moon are nearly hit by a car.
- A dog chases Moon and Luna onto an ice-skating rink.
Sexual references
There are no sexual references in An Almost Christmas Story.
Alcohol, drugs and other substances
There’s no substance use in An Almost Christmas Story.
Nudity and sexual activity
There’s no nudity and sexual activity in An Almost Christmas Story.
Product placement
There’s no product placement in An Almost Christmas Story.
Coarse language
An Almost Christmas Story has some coarse language. For example, ‘Holy mackerel’. Crude behaviour includes a dog telling Moon that he has peed all over the city and that the city belongs to him.
Ideas to discuss with your children
An Almost Christmas Story is a short movie that uses computer generated animation combined with a stop-motion aesthetic to create a unique style that comes across as homemade or textured. The story takes place at Christmas time but is not directly a Christmas tale. The movie is best suited to viewers over 6 years.
These are the main messages from An Almost Christmas Story:
- The true spirit of Christmas lies in giving rather than receiving.
- The simplest things in life are also the most precious and can bring us the greatest joy.
Values in An Almost Christmas Story that you could reinforce with your child include courage, strength, friendship, compassion and helpfulness.
An Almost Christmas Story could also give you the chance to talk with your children about the real-life consequences of issues like these:
- Disobeying parents’ instructions.
- Believing that certain places are only for certain people and that if you’re different you don’t belong.
- Thinking yourself inferior or incapable because of a handicap or disability.