After hard-launching at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival back in May, and touching down continentally at HamptonsFest last month, the highly anticipated “Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point” will limited-release in NYC on November 8th, and fly into 300 theaters nationwide on November 15th.
But first: in typical yuletide fashion, the holiday rush will come a day early. This makes for a well-welcomed sight, as IFC Films—the distribution hub behind bona fide classics like “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” and “Boyhood”—will begin screening their latest critical darling daily at Regal Cinemas of the Deer Park Tanger Outlets starting on November 7th, mere miles and minutes away from where production took place a year and a half ago.
“Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point” will see its Regal Deer Park premiere at 7:50 p.m. on Thursday, November 7th, and host two screenings each on Friday, November 8th, and Sunday, November 10th through Wednesday, November 13th—all at 12:40 p.m. and 6:20 p.m.
On Saturday, November 12th, the film will screen a 3:20 p.m. matinee, and a 9:40 nightcap. On Thursday, November 14, its two screenings will run at 12:40 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. Showtimes for additional dates are to be announced.
The “two-for-one” takes us back to one last Christmas for the books at Grandma’s house in 2006. A temperature check on the party and all its merry happenings: it is populated by family tensions, with adult siblings pitted against one another over the altered state of their faded matriarch; an eclectic cavalcade of zany cartoon characters come to life; and a pair of teens who—in further breaking the shackles of the kids’ table—eventually sneak out, but not too far away from the snowglobe for a home up for grabs to instead bask in the wintery glow with a frenzy of fellow 15-year-old fourth meal and freedom-seekers around town.
Starring reputable star power such as Michael Cera, Elsie Fisher, Ben Shenkman, Maria Dizzia, Gregg Turkington, Francesca Scorsese and Sawyer Spielberg, and introducing Matilda Fleming as Emily Balsano, “Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point” is the brainchild of Smithtown High School West — Class of 2009 alums turned dent-makers in the modern indie film scene, Tyler Taormina and Eric Berger.
Taormina directed the picture from a script he and Berger co-wrote based on their mutual desire to relive and reconcile what they moved a coast away from, but could never seem to outgrow: massive New York Italian family gatherings where the tension can’t be cut with a knife, rather with a “let’s look at wedding home videos” holler; 24-hour hot bagel spot-regaling; and trippy-coded Christmastime fire truck parades that quite literally require 3-D glasses to inhale.
These are moments from their youth that piqued their creative curiosities. The film thereby exists as a unique means by which they—and the audiences they are expressly speaking to—can finally reach out to their childhood counterparts and give themselves a hug—and something a little stronger than virgin eggnog to chug.
His third feature after the surreal “Ham on Rye” and COVID ode to loneliness “Happer’s Comet,” Taormina’s latest tear into his Long Island brethren as an oddball-but-beautiful subspecies has garnered he and his Omnes Film collective even more notoriety than they already amassed.
Once a Nickelodeonized maker of pilots that never saw the light of day, a jaded Taormina left the studio system to reunite with the boundless rebel Western Suffolk County’s parking lots and waterside woodlands raised him to be.
He got the band of filmmakers from Emerson College back together with a “WTF did I just watch, and when can I watch it again?” feature debut presentation to liberate the kids of “I can’t do this” nation. The result: the successful staging of many successive jailbreaks, with box office breakage next in the forecast as well.
Screaming out the gate as an experimentalist with the aforementioned undertakings, it took coming in hot at the arthouse to inspire collaborations with staying power. “Arrested Development” and “Superbad” Michael Cera loved “Ham on Rye,” and so he joined the team.
This was just the first of many celebrity endorsements—coupled with the cost-efficient wonders Miller’s Point’s slick-under-pressure QB1 can work with a rundown offense and no timeouts left on the clock up against the looming threat of sunlight during a night shoot—that impressed investors enough to come aboard his most mass-consumable swing yet.
Taormina’s work and style are often compared to the coming-of-age, ensemble-entranced, and “hangout, vibe over plot” hallmarks of John Hughes, Robert Altman and Richard Linklater, respectively, Taormina and company currently stand praised, yet unconfused. They knew what they had on the page when they first broke the story seven some years ago.
With the funds to support their dreams at last, they could confidently rally the troops—ecstatic to know that by the end of the long run to the finish, “Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point” had been made by and for the townsfolk who inspired it—and dead-smack right in their own backyard.
The film was predominantly shot in Smithtown, Holbrook and Selden residences and small business plazas with infinite local resources, cast and crew in tow to assist in the magic-making. February to March of 2023 marked a rake occurrence where everyone was over the moon at the sight of those damned youths running wild all over town—for this meant Suffolk suburbia had finally earned the Hollywood treatment it sorely deserved.
“Red Acre Farms, formerly known as Dairy Barn, has been a staple in the community for many years and it was amazing to showcase that in the production of Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point,” said Jaime and Tyler Ostling, owners of Red Acre Farms. “We loved to see so many Smithtown alumni that were a part of the crew… [who] worked hard all hours of the night. It was nice to get asked by the producer if they could use our space, and right away we knew it would be a great opportunity to showcase our community.”
“As proud members of the Smithtown community, the Smithtown Fire Department was thrilled to take part in this amazing project that showcased the charm, character and community spirit of our town,” said The Smithtown Fire Department.
This organization in particular was instrumental in pulling off the iconic fire truck scene that hits this perhaps too close to the source material reviewer with simultaneous glee and melancholy as only the Christmas Day 2001-released “Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius” (Our parents are gone! Wait… our parents are gone…) ever had prior.
While we’re on the subject: conceived and pitched as “Home Alone” meets “Dazed and Confused,” many reviewers have suspected Barry Levinson’s “Diner” and Ingmar Bergman’s “Fanny and Alexander” as key influences. My “comp cloud” has always featured Ron Howard’s “Parenthood” at the top; as far as behind the scenes go, Ang Lee’s “Taking Woodstock” ever comes to mind, but I digress.
“Our firefighters and EMS personnel were eager to roll up their sleeves, and contribute to the project by decorating our trucks once again, and assisting on set,” the Smithtown Fire Department added. “We can’t wait to see the film's success and the pride it brings to our community.”
We can’t either; good thing it’s finally here.
Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point currently holds an 86% “Certified Fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Visit regmovies.com, fandango.com, or Google “Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point showtimes” for more information and screenings coming soon to your area. “Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point” will screen at the IFC Center and The Alamo Drafthouse in Manhattan this week, amongst other theaters.
'Christmas Eve in Miller's Point'
Regal Deer Park Showtimes
Thurs., Nov. 7: 7:50 p.m.
Fri., Nov. 8: 12:40 p.m. | 6:20 p.m.
Sat., Nov. 9: 3:20 p.m. | 9:40 p.m.
Sun., Nov. 10: 12:40 p.m. | 6:20 p.m.
Mon., Nov. 11: 12:40 p.m. | 6:20 p.m.
Tues., Nov. 12: 12:40 p.m. | 6:20 p.m.
Weds., Nov. 13: 12:40 p.m. | 6:20 p.m.
Thurs., Nov. 14: 12:40 p.m. | 6:00 p.m.
[Editor’s Note: South Shore Press Reporter Michael J. Reistetter is one of many local producers on “Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point.” We encouraged him not to be bashful in his ongoing coverage of a most noteworthy achievement for all involved. Support Mike and his production team by checking out their film, tickets are available for purchase all throughout this holiday season!]