Lasting an hour and 40 minutes, the G-rated ‘Noelle’ combines humor and holiday cheer to attract viewers of all ages.

Noelle stars Anna Kendrick as the title character, Shirley MacLaine as Elf Polly, Bill Hader as Nick Kringle, and Julie Hagerty as Mrs. Kringle.

Noelle Kringle is Santa Claus’s daughter and the cheery protagonist of the story.

However, things take a sharp turn when her father passes away, and her brother Nick runs away, putting her in charge of both running the entire Christmas operation and locating her brother.

With Bill Hader as Nick Kringle, the film properly utilizes his punchy sense of humor and incorporates it into his lines seamlessly. In addition, Shirley MacLaine adds a sassy and sarcastic voice, too, for comic relief during the movie’s conflicts.

The film was written and directed by Marc Lawrence, a renowned American screenwriter best known for his comedies. He has written over 10 films in his career, going above and beyond in the television and music industry.

Noelle was produced by Walt Disney Pictures and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It was released on November 12, 2019, and is available to watch on Disney+.

While this film captures the traditions of Christmas, it adds a modern spin on the average holiday family-friendly movie. The film incorporates jokes and amazing visual effects to do so. However, most notably, the film serves as a testament that girls can do anything they set their minds to, just as Noelle does when she saves Christmas.

In 2021, Noelle was awarded the BMI Film & TV Award for its music by Cody Fitzgerald and Clyde Lawrence.

It features classic tunes such as “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.” Also, because of Anna Kendrick’s singing talent from other movies she’s starred in, she sings warm originals like “This Christmas” and “Eventually.”

Overall, Noelle is full of charm- the kind that makes a Christmas movie not just simply amiable, but worth watching.