Your Christmas or Mine? parents guide

Your Christmas or Mine? Parent Guide

There's a surprising amount of originality in this rom-com's script, but the ending sticks close to the genre's expectations.

Overall B

Amazon Prime: A newly in love couple both decide to surprise the other by showing up at their parents' home for Christmas, and end up stuck with the other's family for the holidays.

Release date December 2, 2022

Violence B
Sexual Content B+
Profanity C+
Substance Use C

Why is Your Christmas or Mine? rated PG-13? The MPAA rated Your Christmas or Mine? PG-13 for violence, alcohol, foul language, and sexual content

Run Time: 95 minutes

Parent Movie Review

James (Asa Butterfield) and Hayley (Cora Kirk) have been together for a couple of months and are quickly falling in love. As they board their separate trains to go home for family Christmases, they are struck with the same brilliant idea: why not surprise their new love by jumping on the other train and being together over the holidays?

Both of them are in for a shock when they wind up at each other’s home train station, alone, and in heavily falling snow. With nowhere else to go, they both trudge off towards each other’s homes, where the surprises are only beginning…

Your Christmas or Mine? is not a typical rom-com. There are no meet-cutes or syrupy montages; no sunset kisses or Instagram moments. In this story, Hayley and James get better acquainted through each other’s families. As Hayley wanders through the ancient home built by James’s aristocratic forebearers, she is first angered by his lies of omission and then (after a fair bit of alcohol consumption) starts to bring some Christmas spirit to the chilly old mansion. James is bombarded by the exuberant energy of Hayley’s extended family, angered by Hayley’s withheld secrets, and finally charmed by the open-hearted genuineness of the clan.

It’s a bold choice to keep lovers apart in a romantic comedy, but director Jim O’Hanlon makes it work as do Asa Butterfield and Cora Kirk. Even apart, their affection for and frustration with each other is clear, and viewers will find themselves rooting for the young couple. The movie is also surprisingly funny, leaning in to the “comedy” part of the “romantic-comedy” equation. It’s a British film, so, of course, the humor heads straight for issues of social class and, with the exception of a few culturally specific jokes, the comedy works just fine on this side of the pond.

As for negative content, the biggest issues involve alcohol consumption, with frequent scenes of social drinking. Both main characters find themselves drinking liquor straight from the bottle and becoming intoxicated. The movie also has over two dozen profanities, most of which are terms of deity or scatological terms. The PG-13 rating is accurate and this movie can be watched by teens who enjoy romantic films or British humor.

For fans of rom-coms, Your Christmas or Mine? is a lighthearted festive treat. While the ending is predictable, there is enough novelty in the story to keep it interesting and enough laughs to make it fun. It also delivers solid messages about honesty, love, and the importance of family ties, which are garnished with plenty of sweetness and charm. As Christmas confections go, this film is more substantial than most, but it’s still entertaining.

Directed by Jim O'Hanlon. Starring Asa Butterfield, Daniel Mays, Cora Kirk . Running time: 95 minutes. Theatrical release December 2, 2022. Updated

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Your Christmas or Mine?
Rating & Content Info

Why is Your Christmas or Mine? rated PG-13? Your Christmas or Mine? is rated PG-13 by the MPAA for violence, alcohol, foul language, and sexual content

Violence:   A man points a gun at a woman on a couple of occasions. A dog is accidentally shot off screen. A man is given an electrical shock by a fence. A man starts choking at the dinner table. A main character has a serious asthma attack and is dangerously unwell. There is mention of a prior death in a car accident.
Sexual Content:   There are scenes of a man and woman kissing. A woman opens a gift containing lacy lingerie. A woman gropes a man’s thigh and he tells her he’s gay, although he isn’t.
Profanity:  The script contains a dozen terms of deity, five scatological curses, a couple of anatomical terms, and nine minor profanities.
Alcohol / Drug Use: There are frequent scenes of social drinking and of characters drinking alone. Both main characters drink alcohol straight from the bottle and become intoxicated.

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Your Christmas or Mine? Parents' Guide

What do James and Hayley learn about each other by staying with each other’s families? Which family would you prefer to belong to? Why? What do you think are the best things about your family? What are the most difficult? Do you have family holiday traditions that you particularly enjoy? Why are they meaningful to you?

Home Video

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