Father Christmas is Back

Four daughters and a reunion

I was checking the new arrivals on Netflix two days ago, when I came across this new 2021 movie called “Father Christmas is Back”.

It is one of those cheesy Christmas films that does not require you to use any of your grey cells at all. So yesterday, with a little gin inside me, I decided to check it out, mainly because of the start cast. Kelsey Grammer of “Frasier” fame (I never did get down to watching Cheers, but did watch all of Frasier") plays Father Christmas, the father of four daughters with the last name Christmas. Elizabeth Hurley is also a known name, famous in India for sometime because she married an Indian, Arun Nayar.

What I didn’t know prior to watching the film is that Kelsey Grammer’s girlfriend in the movie, Jackie, is played by April Bowlby, who plays Rita Farr in Doom Patrol. I religiously watched the first two seasons of Doom Patrol. I have watched about 3 episodes of the the third season, but I am not sure if I will get through it or not. If I do, I will mention it here. The Rita Farr character and the way she is portrayed by April Bowlby is one of the more interesting aspects of Doom Patrol, though in this movie, she vacillates between playing a stereotypical American blonde and a reasonably smart woman…probably because the directors are/were confused.

The film’s plot is nothing to shout about. Four daughters, an estranged father who suddenly shows up at Christmas, some philandering, etc. I did chuckle throughout the film…maybe it was the gin.