Christmas ...Again?! (2021)

Christmas ...Again?! is a holiday movie that is about Rowena "Ro" (Scarlett Estevez), an 11-year-old hoping to add more spunk to her Christmas celebrations when her parents’ divorce is going anything but smoothly. This article will discuss the elements of this holiday comedy and Rowena's character arc. For one, Rowena is struggling with her parent's divorce. This is difficult for her when it comes to celebrating the holidays; like most kids who are dealing with divorced parents, they find the holiday season very stressful, because they have to deal with change in their families. To add to her burden, Rowena has to deal with her new stepparents and stepsiblings. She wants to stick to her old Christmas traditions; her Christmas traditions reflect her old life. Rowena's frustrations continue to grow when she finds out her family is visiting for the holidays, despite her parents being divorced. Viewers see throughout the movie Christmas Again?! that Rowena has a very stubborn personality, as she is very resistant to change that is happening in her family. This shows viewers how kids can be stubborn when it comes to changes in traditions. In addition, Rowena does not get along with her siblings Gabby and Louie. She thinks nobody cares about her or believes anything she says. This reflects the frustrations that kids who have siblings have to deal with in everyday life, especially during the holiday season. Rowena wishes that she can have a normal Christmas again. Her wish comes true, as she is stuck in this time loop. The time loop is shown through the song "Jingle Bells" which plays over and over again. She believes that she can do whatever she wants; she can change what happens during that day and her family won't remember what has happened. She also thinks there are no consequences; this reflects the fantasy many kids have where they can do whatever they want as long as they're happy. The list titled "Rowena's Top 5 Christmas Memories" symbolizes her old life and old holiday traditions. She can make things happen the way she wants them to. Santa, who is played by African American actor Gary Anthony Williams, communicates with Rowena through his disguises. Rowena shares with Santa all of her family troubles, as she believes he is the only person who trusts and believes her. His advice to Rowena is that families change all the time, but what really matters is that the family stays together even during the holidays. Rowena is trying to stick to what has happened in the past; she doesn't realize her future is going to be even better. The letters she writes to Santa symbolize her character transformation. Rowena admits to her parents that she misses her old life before they got divorced. This reflects the stress kids experience when it comes to dealing with divorce; they experience normal feelings like sadness and confusion. Rowena is similar to Emma from 48 Christmas wishes; both characters want to have a normal family despite big changes. In the end, she learns to accept change; she goes from grief to acceptance of new family members. Her behavior also changes for the better, as reflected in the book she read called A Christmas Carol. Overall, Christmas Again?! is an excellent holiday movie that is recommended for kids and teens who are struggling with the stresses of the holidays, especially divorce. There is a representation of women in this movie, with a small representation of a Latina, as Scarlett Estevez plays the main female role.