I see Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point as a combination of two storytelling instincts, the first of which is, unsurprisingly, the Christmas movie. This is one of those not just set around the holiday, but about it, and scenes of family togetherness (both fuzzy and prickly) resonate beyond their moment. The other, however, is the snapshot ensemble movie, in which the moment is everything. We’re with these people for one night of their lives, and the point is just to be with them, share this experience, and find meaning wherever we decide to see it.
