Oh, Christmas Tree

By: Kelly Kearney

It’s a family affair for Christmas as Mark Duplass, his 16-year-old daughter Ora and director and spouse Katie Aselton bring their 11-minute short to the Tribeca Film Festival, touching on a struggle that this family knows well. Oh, Christmas Tree is an honest portrayal of loss, depression and how it affects us most on the holidays.

Fake it, ‘till You Make it

When we meet Ben (Mark Duplass) and Claire (Ora Duplass), the father and daughter duo are faced with their first Christmas following a significant loss in their lives. Ben’s wife, also Claire’s mother, has recently passed away, casting a shadow over their holiday spirit. Things just don’t feel Christmassy, but these two are determined to celebrate – no matter how painful the memories are of past years. Inside their small cabin in the woods holiday traditions are a go as the duo sings Christmas carols and laughs as they screw up the lyrics. Ben hates “Jingle Bells,” which he says is ” f****** awful.” Maybe it is the imagery of dashing through the snow that motivates them, but they set aside their instruments to venture outdoors for some traditional dirt sledding. This is what happens when you celebrate Christmas in a remote cabin in California–the snow rarely cooperates. The warm weather doesn’t stop Ben’s determination to make this holiday memorable for Claire–who is also trying to help her father get through the day. The sledding doesn’t go the way Ben had hoped, and his mood–like the slow roll of an incoming dark cloud, shadows the sunshine of the day.

Throughout the short, there is a heaviness that hangs over Claire and Ben and we see that play out in a scene where Claire is staring at herself in the mirror. After the sledding turns her father’s mood, she takes a much-needed break in the bathroom– taking deep breaths as if she is trying to prepare herself for a dive into the deep end of a fake smile–into a happiness that got buried with her mother. This undercurrent of sadness starts to drown Claire and in this particular scene, she’s desperately trying to drum up a smile – anything rather than let her father’s mood ruin the day. Like Claire, Ben tries hard to put on a festive face but as the day turns to night it becomes harder for him to cover up his pain.

After a Christmas dinner of spaghetti and white bread, the fake smiles give way to the tension threatening to burst from the seams of this cabin’s four walls. While the two are sleeping side by side in single beds– Ben with his back to Claire and struggling to hold it together, his observant daughter decides to bite the bullet and deal with her father’s issues humorously.  People battling depression tend to be drawn to dark humor and Claire is a master at it her father calls her twisted – lovingly and with pride as her joke helps Ben crawl out of his funk for a gut-busting laugh.

How Silence Can Drive a Story

Oh, Christmas Tree is a snapshot of a family struggling to get out of the quagmire of loss and the often deadly embrace of depression. But, it’s not all doom and gloom in this short; there is always laughter battling the dark corners of this cabin and Claire and Ben use humor like a Band-Aid to cover up their wounds.

If you are familiar with Mark Duplass’ work then you will know he is the master of building tension. His films like Creep and Blue Jay tell the most story in the silent pauses between the dialogue– and that’s where this short comes to life. The close-ups from the director make the short feel intimate and give us– the viewer, a peek into this family’s struggles. While the short never delivers that culminating moment tying all of this tension together, it is still effective at developing a snapshot of grief and a family dealing with how to move past the pain. The short run time left me wanting more from this duo and maybe that’s the point of a short;  a little taste of something to wet your palette but still leave you hungry for more.

The family affair is what is at the heart of this story. Actor and filmmaker, Duplass, has been open about his battles with depression, and watching him and his daughter dance around that monster lurking in the shadows of the cabin through the lens of his wife feels intimate to the point of intrusive. The real-life dynamic between father and daughter effortlessly comes out on screen, thanks to director Aselton–who does a fantastic job with the pacing of this film. The direction and camera work help to paint a larger picture in the close-ups of Claire’s face as she struggles to carry her father’s sadness with her own. The focus is on those quieter moments, allowing the camera to drive the viewer along through the unspoken parts of this story.

Ultimately, this is a story about love and loving people even at their hardest; even during those times when you don’t recognize them, and in that love, kindness, and humor can be your only escape. if you have an opportunity to see this short, especially before Father’s Day, then jingle all the way to Oh, Christmas Tree.