Question

• how is the family defined in the movie (base these questions on your readings & make sure your reference and connect what you are reading with your responses)?
• What is the family type?
• What is the developmental stage of the family? Why do you think they are in this stage?
• What developmental tasks is the family dealing with related to their developmental stage and how well are they managing these tasks? Give specific examples from the movie.

The movie I chose is This Christmas!

Answer 1

This is an Afro American family with the mother as the head of the family, who is having three sons and three daughters from her ex-husband. Except for the younger son, the other five are staying separately and having their own way of living.

The family have gathered together after four years to celebrate the Christmas together with their mother, family type is a usual American style family although it is focused on Afro American family with one white as the wife of one of the sons, it has the same problem as any other family problem, there are many things kept as a secret from each other , but in reality they share it when they are together. Their mother living with her boyfriend is known to all. But they pretend as if they do not know about it, and it is a well-kept secret. They dance together, bring gifts for them and enjoy Christmas together. Like any other family, this family too is facing some problems, the cast of the movie is well planned and thee are characters like  Devine a church-going, God-fearing woman, The son  Quentin Jr, is hiding from the bookies. Lisa stays at home to raise the family while Kelli is successful and residing in New York City Quentin Jr is a saxophone player who does not approve  Ma'Dere's minister boyfriend.

The family members are having their own problems, the mother Ma'Dere is the owner of a Laundromat, where her children have shares, she is doing well for herself, her daughter Lisa on the urging of her husband Malcolm wants her mother to sell the business, They are in this stage as they all have gone away from the family to pursue their career and make living for themselves, still the family ties are not broken. They have secrets that are known as well as those that are not known. But coming together for the Christmas makes it a dynamic family.

After the divorce with her husband, Ma'Dere is running the dry cleaning business for her living; her younger son called Baby wants to become the singer stays with her. She is having a boyfriend  Joe Black, a church deacon. Quentin Jr is a saxophone player but owes debts to bookies so he has come to hide. The daughter wants the share of the business. Everyone has come together with their worries and to get solutions. They argue with each other like when Lisa tells to sell the business which leads to an argument between Lisa and Kelli. Quentin Jr making rude remark seeing Joe. But like the family member he plays music for them and Baby who had kept his singing talent hidden sings a song for them. They come together in difficult times too when Claude is arrested Lisa and Quentin help to solve the situation.  Ma'Dere scolds the family for not preparing Christmas dinner and getting ready shows an affection of the mother although the children are old enough.

This is a true Christmas dram around the Whitefield's family get together during Christmas after four years produced by Rainforest Films and written by Preston A Whitemore II.