What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that, like most contemporary holiday movies, this film features a large, loud, "dysfunctional" family dealing with lots of issues. One son has just come back from Iraq and could have post-traumatic stress, another has a Jewish wife who doesn't get along with his mother, and the parents are on the verge of divorce, to name just a few of the family's problems. While young kids may not be interested, 'tis the season for family movies, so be aware that there's drinking, sexual innuendo, and several passionate kisses, as well as some use of anguage like "s--t" and "a--hole." There's also a subplot involving a reformed gang member's beef with the guy who killed his brother, as well as a few other Latino stereotypes. But overall, it's a mostly positive portrayal of a Hispanic family's Christmas traditions.
- Families can talk about holiday traditions. How does the Rodriguez family's Christmas celebration differ from those portrayed in other holiday movies?
- How is it different than your own holiday customs?
- What Latino stereotypes does the film explore? Do you think it reinforces or dispels them? What scenes in the movie are similar to those in other Christmas films?
- Do audiences expect certain things from holiday movies? If so, what -- and why?