Noelle Parent Guide

For 2,000 years the Kringle family has passed down the role of Santa from father to son. That is, until Nick Kringle (Bill Hader) decides that he’s not cut out to be Santa and runs away just days before Christmas. His sister, Noelle (Anna Kendrick), is tasked with tracking him down and convincing him to come back. Thrilled at the opportunity to do something more important than make Christmas cards, Noelle sets out to find her brother, spread Christmas cheer, and possibly discover her purpose in life.

I think that in order to enjoy Noelle, you need to understand what you’re getting into. This is not meant to be groundbreaking, experimental, postmodernist cinema. It is meant to be a family-friendly, fun adventure story about the meaning of Christmas. If you’re on board with that, you’ll be satisfied with what you get. There are no surprises here. The writing is straightforward and predictable, and the budget is low. This movie knows what it is meant to be, and it sticks to its purpose. If you want something subversive and innovative, maybe the G-rated section of Disney+ isn’t the place for you.

Judging this movie for what it is meant to be - it’s pretty good. The cast does a good job with what they’re given, and they all exude charm and holiday spirit. I laughed a few times, and even got a bit teary at one point. The messages are pretty standard for the genre, but they are clear and positive. A few different themes come up, the most obvious being that the true meaning of Christmas is what you give, not what you get. Noelle and Nick both learn to be true to themselves, find their own paths in life, and not blindly follow tradition. One aspect of the film that I particularly enjoyed was the scenes that take place in a homeless shelter. Noelle learns for the first time that the holidays aren’t a happy time for everyone, especially those that don’t have a home or enough food. She befriends a young deaf girl at the shelter and communicates with her in sign language. This part of the movie could be a great jumping off point for parents to talk with their children about people who are less fortunate, and ways that they can help.

I could nitpick the production values, or the predictable writing, or the continuity errors, but that seems a bit Grinchy to me. Noelle is a heartfelt, sincere film with great messages and essentially no negative content. As far as I’m concerned, you could do a lot worse for the holidays.