This Christmas

Synopsis: In Los Angeles, Shirley Ann Whitfield, affectionately called Ma'Dere, is the matriarch of the Whitfield family, she with six children: San Francisco residing wife and mother Lisa who feels the need to act as the responsible one in managing her extended family's welfare, as such sacrificing her own wants in the process; traveling jazz musician Quentin Jr. who the family has not seen in four years; Claude the marine; New York ad exec Kelli who admits she is the selfish one; college student Mel; and Michael (called Baby) who still lives at home while figuring out what he wants to do with his life. Ma'Dere has lived in the family home for a few years now with Joe Black, a church deacon, with Ma'Dere's husband/the children's father, Quentin Whitfield Sr., long having left the family to pursue a life as a jazz musician. Because of the pain associated for Ma'Dere, Sr.'s piano sits in the garage untouched. Quentin, being a chip off the old paternal block, is the most disconnected from the fami
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Production: Sony Pictures
  4 nominations.
 
IMDB:
6.2
Metacritic:
63
Rotten Tomatoes:
56%
PG-13
Year:
2007
117 min
$49,121,934
Website
3,023 Views


- Ma'Dere?

- Morning, Joe.

You know, Christmas is almost here.

Here's your clothes, all packed.

Just put them in the garage.

How long do you think

we're gonna keep this up?

As long as the good Lord allows.

- Want me to get your bathroom stuff?

- I'll get it.

All right, guys. Let's go. Your

dad's gonna be here in a minute.

- You said you were outside.

- I just had a few more things to do.

- That's not what you said.

- I need to turn off...

But it's okay.

Let's hit the freeway

before traffic gets bad.

- Let's go. All right.

- Yes, Malcolm.

All right, guys. Let's rock and roll.

Tonight?

Thank you.

- T, let me get my drink, please, baby.

- You got it, Q.

Christmas in Chicago

is always slow, ain't it?

Oh, yeah, man, you know,

everybody out shopping.

Here you go.

Come on, let's go!

Damn!

Fool.

Baby, what is that?

This a early Christmas present

from Joe. It's called a Nikon.

It's the Rolls-Royce of cameras.

Joe! Tell me you didn't get

this boy that camera.

- Don't start.

- We talked about that.

- It's Christmas, baby.

- It's too expensive.

Let it go.

Let it go.

Matter of fact, snap this.

Here.

- Merry Christmas. Now...

- Guess he told you.

Boy, take this grocery list

and go to the store.

Before that lip gets you into trouble.

- This everything? You sure?

- Yeah.

I wrote it down.

Sometimes you forget stuff.

I gotta come back.

You forget stuff and have

to go back. Hurry up.

I have to change clothes.

Get ready to cook.

Ma'Dere want me to go to the store.

You want something?

No, I'm good.

I wanted to thank you too

for the camera.

- You know, I love it.

- When I was your age...

...I wanted a watch about as bad

as you wanted that camera.

Nobody could afford it.

You take some nice pictures

with that thing.

- Come here, boy.

- Oh, man.

You gonna do all this

lovey-dove stuff.

- I'm almost grown.

- Go on, get out of here.

She gonna start cooking any minute.

Don't hurt nobody on that bike.

Merry Christmas, Lisa.

Oh, baby, please. You're gonna

drive me crazy with that camera.

Come on, where your

Christmas spirit at? Come on.

- Ma, you told them 6:00, right?

- They know.

- They should be here.

- Stop. They been eating dinner at 6...

...ever since they could eat.

They know.

- Look.

- Baby, get out with that.

You're making me nervous. Go.

Come and taste some of this.

- I want your stamp of approval.

- Okay.

Should have told them 4,

then they'd be here on time.

It's frustrating being the only person

in this family that understands a clock.

You know your brothers

and sisters are always late.

That don't make it right.

Why don't you come late,

so that way you on time?

- You know what? See, you...

- Mama, get her.

This is like hitting the lottery.

- Especially if we finance it ourselves.

- Oh, yeah. Absolutely.

I'd be a millionaire before I'm 40.

I should be able to get

a couple hundred thousand...

...while I'm in New York.

But you're gonna have

to match that, at least.

I'm pretty sure

I can get a chunk of it here.

- Well, that would be a happy holiday.

- Yes, it would.

- Now, that's a car right there.

- Come on, Joe.

I'll call you when I get a chance.

- Nice.

- Hey.

Nice.

Got that new-car smell

and everything.

Damn, you got your name on the car?

Can't nobody steal it.

Hey, Joe, you need to get

some of these for your funeral home.

Hey, how much this set you back?

My old man's got a dealership

in San Francisco...

...so I got a deal,

but they run for about 60.

It's a smart investment.

Kelli's got herself a new car too.

Merry Christmas.

- Guess she's smart like you, Malcolm.

- Hey, girl.

- Joe, how you doing?

- Good.

- Good to see you.

- You too.

You look like your mama

more and more every day.

Get over here and hug me, girl.

- And if you wasn't my cousin...

- Oh, yeah. You're all talk.

Maybe, but when you gonna

put me in a commercial?

- Malcolm.

- Kelli.

Let's get inside.

Mama can't wait to see you.

- Get the rest of those bags.

- Okay.

- What you got in these bags, girl?

- Lots of goodies.

- Yeah? You bring anything for me?

- Of course.

If I get any free time,

I'm gonna call you later.

Lisa, you regifted me last year.

I don't like that.

You know you wanted

that frame, and that's...

- All right?

- You think I didn't notice. I noticed it.

All right, baby. Bye.

You could've bought me something.

Did you see the frame, Rosie?

- Merry Christmas, everybody.

- Hey, merry Christmas.

Damn, Baby, look at you,

getting taller by the minute.

You guys better stop calling him Baby,

because he's almost a grown man.

He's my youngest,

no matter how tall or old he gets.

He'll always be my baby.

Ain't that right. She's just a hater.

You just treat him special

because he's your favourite.

My favourite is whoever

I'm talking to at that second.

The one that needs

Mother's love the most.

You should've called us.

Malcolm would have picked you up.

- Maybe you'd have been on time.

- I got a car.

See our new Escalade outside?

- You know, I rented a BMW convertible.

- Sexy.

- Hey, can I try that?

- Like that's gonna happen.

Can't blame a brother for trying.

So I guess that means things

are going well on the job?

I can't complain.

I just completed a perfume spot.

You need to let me come to New York

so I can get my photography on.

What you need to do is get a college

degree, just like your big sister.

So, Ma'Dere, is there anything else

we need to do around here?

- Y'all want me to make something?

- No.

What? I can cook.

Girl, you can't make reservations.

She orders up a mean Chinese.

Ten-hut.

Merry Christmas, Claude!

- Oh, my child.

- Hi, Mama.

- You look so good in your uniform.

- You look like a formal peanut.

Claude's got all them girls

going berserk.

They take one look

at a fine specimen like myself...

...and can we say "Denzel"?

Yeah, when are you gonna settle down?

Well, I know, whoever she is, just

make sure she's taking care of you...

...and she can cook like your big sis.

- Some of us were busy...

...going to college while others chose

to stay home and learn how to cook.

And those who stayed home

helped with the cleaners...

...while the rest of us,

who shall remain nameless...

...jetted off to college

the first chance they got.

Are you two listening to yourself?

A stranger wouldn't know

you were sisters.

- She started it.

- I don't care. I'm finishing it.

Kelli, fix some Kool-Aid

for the kids.

Are you sure you don't want me

to make something?

- No.

- Damn.

Don't hurt yourself.

Kool-Aid, simple.

Play to your strengths.

Stop it. Claude, let the men know...

...we'll be eating

as soon as Mel gets here.

I'm gonna get out of this uniform.

- Okay, so I just need...

- Water, sugar. Help her out, please.

Where'd you get those pants?

I look good, huh?

Gentlemen.

Ma'Dere said the food is ready.

We'll eat when Mel gets here.

- So, what's up with you, Malcolm?

- Nothing much, man.

Rate this script:2.4 / 5 votes

Preston A. Whitmore II

Preston Alexander Whitmore II (born June 26, 1962) is an American film director, film producer, and screenwriter. Preston Whitmore is best known for his 2007 comedy-drama This Christmas. The film garnered Preston an NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Directing in 2008. Whitmore has a number of television and feature film projects in development at his Los Angeles based production company, The Preston Picture Company. more…

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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    "This Christmas" Scripts.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 18 Nov. 2024. <https://www.scripts.com/script/this_christmas_21787>.

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