Product Description

WHEN A LITTLE GIRL TELLS A PART-TIME SHOPPING MALL SANTA ALL HER MOTHER WANTS FOR CHRISTMAS IS TO MEET A NICE MAN, HE DECIDES TO MAKE HER WISH COME TRUE.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #11539 in DVD
• Brand: SONY PICTURES HOME ENT
• Released on: 2008-11-11
• Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: AC-3, Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, French, Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 96 minutes

Amazon.com
Here's an excellent recipe for a holiday charmer: Take two charismatic and easy-on-the-eyes romantic leads (Morris Chestnut, The Brothers, and Gabrielle Union, Bring It On); put them in an entertainingly preposterous plot that keeps them from falling too easily in each other's arms; surround them with a cantankerous and sneaky supporting cast of friends and foes (such as Katt Williams, Friday After Next; Rachel True, The Craft; Charles Q. Murphy, Chappelles's Show; and Faizon Love, Idlewild); and frame it all with a couple of supernatural spirits of good and bah-humbug (Queen Latifah, Bringing Down the House, and Terence Howard, Hustle & Flow). Mix it all with bright colors and smart sideways quips--sometimes out of the mouths of a trio of adorable tykes--and you've got The Perfect Holiday, about a songwriting department store Santa (Chestnut) who, thanks to a little girl's wish, falls in love with a single mom (Union)--who just happens to be the ex-wife of a crass hip-hop superstar (Murphy) who's looking for a hit song. Some elements don't entirely mesh and the screwball plot stretches belief at times, but cheerfully so, and the actors are so appealing you can't resist going along with them. All in all, a holiday movie that doesn't oversell the treacle yet manages to end up warm and fuzzy; this could become an annual favorite. --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews

Mediocre Holiday
The Perfect Holiday is not necessarily a bad movie but its far from a good one too. While I admire a movie that does not try to be offensive and wants to be positive there is a thin line from being a little schmaltzy to laying it on real thick. The movie is not unwatchable. It has a talented all-star cast that do a decent job acting but the script is hackneyed and cheesy to a fault plus its pretty bland.

Spoiler Alert!

The story: Gabriell Union plays Nancy, a newly divorced woman who's daughter overhears her conversation about what she wants from a man: a compliment. The daughter goes to a mall Santa(played by Morris Chestnut) named Benjamin and wishes that her mom gets a compliment by her man. Benjamin(Chestnut) gives Nancy a compliment and soon they begin to date. Problems arise when Nancy's naive son, John John gets annoyed by Benjamin because the little tyke misses his arrogant and thoughtless wannabe-rapper father J-Jizzy(played by Charlie Murphy)who would rather be large than be with his family. Then things get even more complicated for the relationship between Nancy and Benjamin when J-Jizzy asks for Benjamin, who also sings to record with him. Queen Latifah plays Mrs Christmas, an angel who is also the narrator of the movie.

Opinion: Positive: this movie is not terrible. Negative: but its not memorable either. Positive: it has an all-star cast. Negative: they are all wasted on a script that pulls every Christmas cliche out of the book.
Positive: The Perfect Holiday is earnest and has a heart. Negative: its syrupy to the point of cheesiness. Positive: it makes an effort at humor. Negative: The humor misses more than it hits. Positive: Its the least offensive Christmas comedy ever made. Negative: It wallows in mediocrity like pigs do in mud. Positive: Its great to see a movie especially an African-American film that is not based on sex and violence. Negative: Its kind of bland and the schmaltzy scenes are a bit much. All in all I would recommend this movie to you if you want to see a Christmas movie starring African Americans that is not offensive but Last Holiday and This Christmas are much better. Perfect Holiday is far from a stinker but when compared to great movies like This Christmas Soul Food, The Wood, The Inkwell, Love Jones, Brown Sugar etc Perfect Holiday can easily be forgotten.

I really liked this story!
It was done in the spirit of fun and gosh Gabrielle Union is just soooo beautiful. I can watch anything she is in. The children in the movie did well. This is a good movie to add to the collection helps to take away some of that christmas time stress.

Not A Good Movie
I love Gabrielle Union and Morris Chestnut BUT The Perfect Holiday was not perfect. The story line was CUTE but not written for a major motion picture. This type of movie would have been great for Lifetime or a movie that goes straight to DVD format. I gave the movie 2 stars because the cast was well picked but the story line was lackluster.