Why ‘See You Next Christmas’ Sparks an Emotional Connection

This year, in general, has been more emotional, making the holiday season more challenging than usual. Watching many of the Christmas films that have been an annual tradition stirs up memories of good times but also brings sadness with them as well. The only two I’ve watched from years past are Christmas in Yellowstone and A Charlie Brown Christmas.

Thanks to the Phoenix Film Festival, I have found a new Christmas film. See You Next Christmas was one of the 2021 competition feature films and one of the first films I saw in the theater in over a year. I immediately fell in love with this rom-com that takes place over six Christmases. It made me laugh, cry, and just feel good. The focus is on two couples: singles Annie (Elizabeth Guest) and Logan (AJ Meijer), who just can’t get their timing right, and Annie (Christine Weatherup) and Tom (Vin Vescico), a married couple who host the annual Clarkmas party for their friends. Christine Weatherup created a beautiful script that allows the characters to grow and never falls into the cookie-cutter Hallmark formula. I’m not cynical at all. I just love films that show relatable people. The actors were cast so well for their roles.

When I first watched it, I was struck by the importance of connection, which had been missing since the pandemic. Friendship is such an essential key to life, and to see these people together yearly brought a feeling of nostalgia for a time that existed not that long ago. There was room for quirky people in this film, like those we all have in our lives. One of my favorites was Nina (Nalini Sharma), who brought a specialty cookie every year but only wanted Annie and Tom to eat them. She was so funny, but the names of the cookies inspired me, as a baker, to experiment with new recipes. 

Update 11/25/23:

I bought it when it was released for distribution and have watched it at least six times since August. I’ve recommended it to friends, too. No matter how I feel, I always feel better after watching this film. I realized another reason for this is that it’s not associated with any memories of Christmas pasts. This film is my new annual Christmas tradition, though it’s the perfect film for any season. . 

Since I first wrote this post, I’ve had many changes and challenges in my life. In 2022, my mom and dad died six months apart. The month after dad’s death, I came down with Covid, despite all my precautions, and ended up with long Covid. Changes in family relationships and knee replacement surgery in July have left me in a vulnerable emotional state. And yet, this film has stood the test of time, a place of solace I can turn to.

I’ve been contemplating why this holds such a special place in my heart. All that I wrote about above still holds true. Another reason is that it is written with such gentleness and kindness. Those qualities come through every time I watch the film. Having lived through the messiness of life, I like movies that reflect that though life is messy, there can still be hope, love, and joy through it all. I’ve kept in touch with a few people from the film through Instagram, and their kindness shines through.

See You Next Christmas is now streaming on Peacock, and the soundtrack is available on music streaming platforms.