A scene from This Christmas. (Photo: Courtesy of Sony Pictures)

If you ever wondered what it would be like to be a part of a big family during the holidays, This Christmas is giving you a peek – of course, this family is hiding as many secrets as they are presents from each other.

The Whitfield children have not been under one roof in four years but this year everyone has come home for Christmas. However, in addition to laughter and merriment, that many personalities under one roof is sure to create tension and reveal hidden truths. Naturally, it all works out in the end; otherwise, what kind of Christmas movie would this be?

Each character has his or her own story to tell, problem to solve and/or opportunity to grow – except Mel, who is usually on the fringes of other people’s anecdotes. This makes for an entertaining movie but a less than realistic portrayal of any family over three days. Nonetheless, the characters are sincere and likeable, which keeps the audience in the narrative. Furthermore, the script is funny as the siblings comment on and insult each other as only family can.

The soundtrack is filled with Christmas spirit from the likes of Toni Braxton, Luther Vandross and American Idol winner Jordin Sparks, as well as some old school hits from Aretha Franklin and Marvin Gaye. In addition, Chris Brown (who plays “Baby” Whitfield) provides an impressive rendition of “Try a Little Tenderness.”

An entertaining scene to look forward to is a wife’s revenge à la Waiting to Exhale. This Christmas is not a morality tale; on the contrary, it is a story of love and acceptance – you can’t change your family but you can make each other’s lives a little easier.