Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point

Director Tyler Taormina revisits suburban ritual and the end of adolescence. A very big Long Island family gets together for a long day and night of celebration, including the traditional salami rolls, Secret Santa gifts, and ‘The Walk’ with cocoa in thermoses. Among the stressors are a parent who may need to be moved to a nursing home (as in MOTHER, COUCH, she sits in one chair for most of the film). We learn who’s seriously ill, who’s still grieving, who drinks too much, which siblings are plagued by jealousy.

“Then all of a sudden, the film moves to the younger generation who spend the night carousing, hitting the local bagel shop, and observing the older guys who never made it out of town.

“Minuses: Underuse of some fave actors, too many characters to keep track of. But a fine, stylized study of the opposite pulls of belonging and individuality. 4 cats.”