In his Candy Cane Lane movie review, Kevin Bourne says the Eddie Murphy and Tracee Ellis Ross film has “instant classic” written all over it.
The Christmas movie genre is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year. It was back in 1898 that the groundbreaking British silent short film Santa Claus introduced the very first holiday movie to the world. Since then, there have been a number of classic films giving families everywhere the a little Christmas cheer.
Adding to this still growing list is the new Amazon MGM film Candy Cane Lane. Starring Eddy Murphy and Tracee Ellis Ross, Candy Cane Lane tells the story of a recently laid off father and husband, Chris Carver (Murphy), who is on a mission to win a lucrative neighbourhood house decorating contest in order to redeem himself and help his family during the holidays. When he makes a pact with a wayward elf named Pepper (Jillian Bell) to help him win, it releases a spell that could not only ruin Christmas but alter his life forever. Chris’ family, including his wife Carol (Tracee Ellis Ross), must band together to reverse the spell before it’s too late.
As you would expect from a Christmas movie, the set design for this film has over the top decorations that make the viewer feel warm and fuzzy. As they recreate this warm, suburban American neighbourhood, you almost feel like you want to jump inside your TV screen and drink a cup of hot chocolate.
It goes without saying that both Eddie Murphy and Tracee Ellis Ross deliver great comedic performances alongside a cast that includes Genneya Walton as Joy Carver, Thaddeus J. Mixson as Nick Carver, Madison Thomas as Holly Carver, Nick Offerman as Pip, Chris Redd as Lamplighter Gary, Robin Thede as Cordelia, DC Young Fly as Josh, and David Alan Grier as a Black Santa Claus. Jillian Bell was more than capable in holding her own opposite Murphy and Ross, as were Walton, Mixson and Thomas as their children. The Carvers all having Christmas names (Chris, Carol, Joy, Nick, and Holly) would be corny under normal circumstances, but in a comedic film with larger than life characters and scenery, it’s a welcomed detail.
But what makes the film a joy to watch is the story. After 125 years of Christmas movies, it must be difficult to tell a unique Christmas story, but writer Kelly Younger found a way to do just that. With a spell that makes the 12 days of Christmas come to life, the story is just as over the top as the decorations and set design.
What makes the movie special is that although it’s a predominantly Black cast and there are some nods to the Black experience, it’s a universal story that will resonate with a wide audience. Although, there are Black Christmas movies that have become classics specifically to Black audiences, like This Christmas (2007) and The Best Man’s Holiday (2013), Candy Cane Lane has “instant classic” written all over it, and has the potential to boldly go where no Black Christmas movie has gone before because of the universality of the story, the crossover appeal of Murphy and Ross. and a story with high rewatch value.
Candy Cane Lane is available on Amazon Prime Video.
Kevin Bourne is SHIFTER’s Toronto-based editor-in-chief and Senior Entertainment Reporter focusing on Black music and film & TV. He was named an international voters for the 81st Golden Globe Awards by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and a Tomatometer-Approved Critic by Rotten Tomatoes.
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