Pete's Christmas is a charming little film. It is not hugely ambitious, but it fulfills what is expected of it; namely to provide a little light holiday style entertainment.
It follows the story of Pete, a slightly neglected middle child. His older brother is a jock, and his younger brother is a nerd. Pete falls somewhere in-between, and thus often gets overlooked. The basic plot is that after the worst Christmas day imaginable, Pete finds himself waking up to the same Christmas day again and again.
The main character is well played by Zachary Gordon, who also starred in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid movies. The other actors are all well cast and deliver competent if slightly limited performances.
The relationships between the characters fall into a predictable pattern, but not to the extent of being groan inducing. The themes, namely "it's not what you get out of it, it's what you put into it", are all properly explored. The reason for which Pete repeats the same day over and over is never explained, nor does it need to be. The interesting part of this film is not the fantasy element, but the lessons learnt and the choices made.
All in all, if you're in the mood for a bit of fluffy Christmas cheer, wanting something simple but not vapid, something thought provoking but not mind jarring, this could be the film for you.
It follows the story of Pete, a slightly neglected middle child. His older brother is a jock, and his younger brother is a nerd. Pete falls somewhere in-between, and thus often gets overlooked. The basic plot is that after the worst Christmas day imaginable, Pete finds himself waking up to the same Christmas day again and again.
The main character is well played by Zachary Gordon, who also starred in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid movies. The other actors are all well cast and deliver competent if slightly limited performances.
The relationships between the characters fall into a predictable pattern, but not to the extent of being groan inducing. The themes, namely "it's not what you get out of it, it's what you put into it", are all properly explored. The reason for which Pete repeats the same day over and over is never explained, nor does it need to be. The interesting part of this film is not the fantasy element, but the lessons learnt and the choices made.
All in all, if you're in the mood for a bit of fluffy Christmas cheer, wanting something simple but not vapid, something thought provoking but not mind jarring, this could be the film for you.