Good Luck Charlie, It's Christmas!

A family film that came out of a television series. The Duncan family sets off for Christmas. The plan is simple: fly to Palm Springs, stay with the grandmother and spend the holiday together. The flight is cancelled. The mother, Amy, and her teenage daughter Teddy decide to continue on their own. The father and the other children stay behind. From there the film becomes a road movie: the wrong car, lost luggage, the wrong bus, odd places to spend the night, and constant argument between mother and daughter. What the narrative is interested in is not Christmas but the gap between generations: Teddy is embarrassed by her mother, and Amy thinks her daughter has left her behind. The side line is the father at home. Bob is alone with the little girl and the boys and gets everything wrong. The shape follows the logic of a television episode; the scenes are short, the jokes are fast, and most situations resolve within minutes. Bridgit Mendler, Leigh-Allyn Baker, Jason Dolley and Bradley Steven Perry are in the cast. Arlene Sanford directed. It was made for the Disney Channel. Who it is for: children who watch the series, and anyone looking for a light Christmas film for the family. Who it is not for: adults who do not know the series; the relationships are not established from scratch and the humour is entirely for young viewers.