It seems that almost every year someone makes a Christmas movie, special, or episode that tries to become the next big holiday hit. This year, filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón and director David Lowery have come along with their entry into this annual tradition with the animated, An Almost Christmas Story, debuting on November 15th on Disney+.
The film, inspired by true events that surrounded a small owl rescued from New York’s iconic Christmas Tree in Rockefeller Center, follows Moon – a curious young owl who (through a series of events) finds himself in the aforementioned landmark Christmas tree. As he tries to return home, he befriends a lost little girl named Luna. Together, they bond on their journey and celebrate the holiday season together as they try and find their parents.
The short film, using a stunning style akin to stop-motion animation, is a visual feast. Viewers will instantly fall in love with Moon and his family, and their design that is reminiscent of wood carvings. The visual treats of the animation continue when Moon arrives in New York City, with a skyline that appears to be whimsically made of cardboard boxes, with many of the residents also appearing in the background as 2D cutouts. It’s a nice touch and really helps our narrator, Luna, and other key humans pop as the story is told. However, some of the visual fun is lost when we meet three pigeons, who have some of that lifeless effect that infected the 2019 “live-action” adaptation of The Lion King, where the choice was made to stay true to the animal in lieu of expressive and characterized animation.
The characters themselves feature a stacked voice cast, with the vocal talents of Cary Christopher (Moon), newcomer Estella Madrigal (Luna), Jim Gaffigan (Moon’s father), Natasha Lyonne, Phil Rosenthal, Mamoudou Athie, Alex Ross Perry, and Gianna Joseph rounding out the group with John C. Reilly serving as the song-singing narrator. The folksy feel and storytelling whimsy is welcome with the whole aesthetic for the short, but a fourth-wall break near the end of the story takes this tale from holiday magic to a bit preachy.
An Almost Christmas Story is the third and final installment in Cuarón’s holiday shorts collection that have appeared on Disney+. His first short, Le Pupille, earned an Oscar nomination in 2022, and last year’s The Shepherd was shortlisted, both in the Live Action Short Film category. While the production design and visuals of this film might garner some awards attention, it’s the forced messaging and slightly ambiguous conclusion that will keep this from becoming annual holiday viewing in many homes. 3 out of 5 Christmas stars.