As a cinephile who has spent countless winter evenings huddled around the hearth of cinema, I can confidently say that David Lowery’s latest work, “An Almost Christmas Story,” is a heartwarming addition to the holiday canon. With a career peppered with films set against the backdrop of the festive season, it seems that the yuletide spirit has seeped into every frame he touches.
In a traditional sense, there is a collection of timeless Christmas stories that are often considered as the definitive ones. Few contemporary tales manage to break into this esteemed group, but Disney and renowned filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón (known for films like ‘Children of Men’ and ‘Gravity’) are challenging that status with a series of heartwarming Christmas shorts. Cuarón collaborates with various directors on each project; the first was ‘Le Pupille’, nominated for an Oscar in 2022, followed by ‘The Shepherd’ in 2023. The latest addition to this series is ‘An Almost Christmas Story’, set to release in 2024, and it marks the first animated title of the collection. This film is directed by the compassionate director David Lowery, who has previously worked on movies such as ‘Pete’s Dragon’, ‘A Ghost Story’, and ‘The Green Knight’.
In my narrative, I embarked on a journey with an enchanting tale titled “Almost a Christmas Story.” Initially, it started as a live-action short film like its predecessors, but the magic unfolded as it transformed into a beautifully crafted stop-motion animated masterpiece. This heartwarming story shares similarities with the yarn of Rocky, the misplaced owl found in Rockefeller Center, yet it weaves its own unique thread.
In a recent interview with MovieWeb for the Disney+ short set to premiere on November 15, 2024, Lowery shared that he received the script shortly after Christmas in 2021, which was toward the end of the year. At that time, Lowery was wrapping up work on Peter Pan and Wendy for Disney. That project had been a significant one, as it took five years to complete. The prospect of creating something smaller and more contained was quite appealing to him after such an extensive project.
The story possessed qualities that resonated deeply with me, such as Christmas, chatty critters, a New York City Christmas setting. To add to that, it was penned by Alfonso Cuarón and Jack Thorne. Now, let me tell you, Alfonso is a living cinematic legend – someone I’ve admired for years. The chance to work with a script he wrote and have the opportunity to rework his words was truly humbling. Collaborating with him sounded like an incredible prospect.
Lowery also appreciated the new timeless masterpieces that Alfonso was producing at Disney, including favorites such as Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, The Grinch, and Charlie Brown Christmas specials. He fondly remembers watching the Mickey Mouse Christmas Carol each year too. He cherishes the thought of more such short holiday films being made, and was thrilled that Alfonso managed to create several at Disney. Being invited to be part of this endeavor was an obvious ‘yes’ for him.
David Lowery Loves Christmas
Just as Shane Black, Lowery has a particular fondness for Christmas. There’s something distinctively filmic about the holiday, you know, with its colorful lights, soft snowfall, and repetition of familiar tunes. As he puts it, “I adore Christmas. It’s essentially one of my favorite times of year. Being a lover of holidays myself, I naturally appreciate holiday films, and there are some I revisit annually.
In my own words, “Indeed, when I created ‘The Green Knight’, it represented a unique interpretation of a Christmas film for me. However, an interesting secret is that numerous movies of mine throughout the years were initially intended to be set during the holidays. For various reasons, these films needed to be rewritten and the holiday setting was removed. For instance, my debut film, ‘Ain’t Them Body Saints’, originally was a Christmas movie, but the actors were only available during the summer months, so I had to adapt it accordingly.
Lowery mentioned that many of the visual elements from ‘Ain’t Them Bodies Saints’, which were intended for the holiday season, he reused in ‘An Almost Christmas Story’. Excited for a new Christmas movie, Tyler Taormina’s ‘Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point’, he shared this with MovieWeb,” expresses the original statement in a more natural and easy-to-read manner.
Lowery expressed his enthusiasm for an upcoming movie, An Almost Christmas Story, without having seen it yet. He believes it will be wonderful due to his admiration for the director’s past films and the promising vibe of this one. This film will be his choice for the holiday season in 2024, screening at 6:15 pm on an unspecified date, and he plans to attend wearing a Christmas sweater. In essence, the movie needs no physical warmth as it promises kindness and beauty that will touch hearts.
Watch on Disney+
Read More
Sorry. No data so far.
2024-11-14 07:03