Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point

Grade: B

My mother is the second child of four. My dad was the fourth child of five. My parents-in-law come from four and five-kid families. I’ve been to some big boisterous gatherings at one grandparent’s house or another. To think that everyone is there because of two people. I had a grandfather who, legend has it, once looked around at the zoo of his house on the day after Christmas and remarked “Who the hell ARE all these people?”

Not everyone feels this way, but I love ‘em. The annual experience started on the road trip up there. From Atlantic to Pacific, gee, the traffic was terrific. Each person’s car seat felt like their own little world – with the blankets, books, magazines, candy, Walkman (later a Discman); everything and anything that could help pass the time. When you started to see exit signs with familiar street names, you knew you were close. Then there was the smell of cold, and wrapped presents that you had to carry inside and add to the tree.

I could go on and on, but Christmas Eve at Miller’s Point will bring all of this back up for you. It’s less about plot and more about atmosphere. It’s December 24th, 2006, and we are guests at Grandma’s house. You go around the house, sometimes only half-hearing conversations. “Where do we put our coats?” “Let me find somewhere to put this.” “You’ve gotten big.” “How has school been for you this year?” A player-piano is going. Inside the house, it’s probably slightly too toasty warm for comfort. I could feel it. There is turkey, ham, cranberry sauce, and various desserts including pies and cheesecakes. I could smell it. A few adults are smoking cigars in the open garage. Kids are playing video games in the finished-off basement.

As the movie is essentially plotless, lacking a significant storyline, it will understandably madden some viewers. A few concepts of a plot do emerge. It’s likely the last Christmas Eve in this house, and maybe the elderly matriarch’s last Christmas. Closed-door discussions transpire amongst her children – who look to be in their 40s and 50s – about future living arrangements for her. Maybe that sounds familiar. Large family gatherings have always been a fascination of mine. We see the same extended blood relatives once every 365 days or so, picking up right where we left off, with another year of living and learning under our belts – eager to update one another with what we’ve done, gained, and maybe lost since we all last spoke. You couldn’t accuse Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point of being a traditional film, but I love the idea, and it succeeds at what it’s going for.

I could only be taken in by it for so long. A subplot involving a teenage girl sneaking out  with 5-10 friends takes over, and turns weird and offbeat. The large cast is mostly made up of unknowns, but includes Michael Cera and two people with the last names Spielberg and Scorcese. My favorites were Matilda Fleming as Emily, Tony Savino as Uncle Ray, and Chris Lazzaro as Cousin Bruce. Helpfully (but it takes a little while), the end credits show shots of the characters with the actor’s name. I’m not sure how Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point would hold up as a rewatch, not to mention how often I’d want to see it again, but it’s a perfectly fine one-off. It will get you in the holiday spirit in a unique, specific way that doesn’t happen often.

Grade: B