Disney+ Holiday Specials: An Almost Christmas Story & O C’mon All Y Faithful

Gen X'ers remember a time when animated Christmas specials were worth waiting all year to watch (and they were called Christmas specials at the time). Of course, Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown was the king of “holiday specials.” Kids in the 1980s and early 1990s even looked forward to the Dolly Madison commercials. Obviously, streaming changed the way viewers relate to media. “Specials” maybe no longer seem as special when they are viewable 24-7-365. Yet, the quality can still be special, or not. This holiday season, Disney+ released two holiday specials of varying degrees of specialness.

In a way, David Lowery’s An Almost Christmas Story (Oscar-qualified, but not shortlisted for Best Animated Short) indirectly revisits the question whether Die Hard is a Christmas movie when the Folksinger narrator ponders whether a Christmas setting is sufficient to make a Christmas story. In this case, the answer should be yes, given the extent of the Christmas trappings.

Having recently discovered his flying ability, the growing owl chick Little Moon shows far too much enthusiasm and not enough caution. After accidentally wrecking his nest, Moon tries to redeem himself gathering twigs, making himself a target for a predatory bird of prey. Barely surviving with a wounded wing, he waits for his frustrated father to rescue him. However, he takes refuge in the giant tree bound for Rockefeller Plaza, just as they start chopping.

Suddenly, Little Moon finds himself in the strange world of New York, overlooking ice-skaters like young Luna. (Presumably, he must somehow have slept through all the mediocre pop stars performing at tree lighting ceremony, so he is luckier than he realizes.) Nevertheless, he is quite alarmed, especially since the trio of street-smart pigeons led by the tough-talking Pat (Natasha Lyonne, almost, but not quite laying on the gruffness too thickly) greet him with suspicion and hostility rather than compassion. (Naturally, Phil Rosenthal of Somebody Feed Phil has instant credibility as Punt, the pigeon who only thinks about food). However, Little Moon and Luna learn they share an affinity beyond their names.

Partially inspired by Rocky, the owl discovered in the 2020 Rockefeller Center tree, An Almost Christmas doesn’t even get to Christmas. It only takes place during the lead-up. However, Little Moon’s desire to return home (for the holidays) is a classic Christmas theme. The use of the Folksinger (warmly performed by the just folksy-enough John C. Reilly) as an on-camera narrator, sort of like Jimmy Durante in Frosty the Snowman, is another staple of holiday specials.

The third Christmas short produced by Alfonso Cuaron for Disney+, An Almost Christmas Story was computer animated in a style that emulates various stop motion techniques. Appropriately, it has a woody, textured vibe that evokes the owls’ forest environment. Even the character design reflects the wood-work effect, like Moon’s eyes, which charmingly suggest tree-rings.

The resulting visual style is quite distinctive, while the story qualifies as endearing. As a result, An Almost Christmas Story passes the Christmas special test, even though most of its characters do not know what Christmas is.

In contrast, The Simpsons: O C’mon All Ye Faithful talks all about Christmas, but its holiday spirit feels rather Grinchy. Technically, this is episode S36E10 (featuring all the regular continuing members, who should be able to voice their characters in their sleep, by this point), but it has the distinction of being the first Simpsons programming to premiere on Disney+ rather than Fox.

If you do not understand who the Simpsons are by now, you never will. Most of America knows they live in Springfield, which creator Matt Groening finally revealed he based on Springfield, Oregon. For years, many viewers thought the Simpsons’ home town was based on Springfield, Ohio, the welcoming small-to-mid-sized city where I went to college. As you might have heard, they had a hard year, so questioning their Christmas spirt, as British mentalist Derren Brown does at the start of the special/episode would have constituted some serious piling on.

To rekindle their Christmas cheer, he uses his hypnotic powers. However, it backfires when he tries to build Homer’s gift-giving confidence, but somehow convinces him he is Santa Claus instead. Eventually, he cures Homer’s delusion, but in the process, he undermines the longstanding Christian faith of Ned Flanders.

This definitely constitutes piling on, considering over the course of the series, poor Flanders endured the death of two wives and the ordeal of living next to Homer Simpson. To her credit. Marge Simpson is pained by Flanders’ crisis of faith, so she tries to convince Brown to rectify the damage he indirectly caused.

The business with Homer is amusing, but not side-splittingly hilarious. Still, it is much more enjoyable than the Flanders half, which comes off as rather mean-spirited. Despite Marge’s distress, the writers show no real sympathy for Flanders’ faith, still relying on it as the butt of their jokes, even as they lay the unlikely groundwork to reawaken his Evangelical piety. Frankly, All Ye Faithful might be all about Christmas, but it isn’t very Christmasy, except for Patti LaBelle riffing on “Silent Night,” which sounds very cool and soulful.

Ironically, in both Disney+ programs, the irresponsible actions of a main character become the catalyst for the animated drama that follows. The streamer earns a split with the results. An Almost Christmas Story is assuredly bittersweet, with a memorable look that stands out from the pack. In contrast, O C’mon All Ye Faithful, comes across as rather uncharitable and only intermittently funny (it’s no “Goo Goo Gai Pan," that’s for sure). The former is recommended for your Christmas viewing, while the latter is not. Merry Christmas.