Just Another Christmas 2020
Directed by
Roberto Santucci
Made by
Camisa Listrada
Just Another Christmas Plot Summary
Read the complete plot summary and ending explained for Just Another Christmas (2020). From turning points to emotional moments, uncover what really happened and why it matters.
On Christmas Eve 2010, Jorge, Leandro Hassum — a man born on Christmas who hates celebrating his birthday — wakes up ready to brace for the holiday, only to clash with his family over tradition. His grandfather-in-law, Vô Nhanhão, Luis Franke, who has not spoken in years, hints that this season will teach him the true meaning of Christmas. That same night, his wife Laura, Louise Cardoso, presses him to dress as Santa and climb onto the roof, hoping to spread holiday cheer. A misstep sends Jorge tumbling off the roof and into unconsciousness, setting a strange course for the years ahead.
In 2011, a confused Jorge awakens on Christmas Eve with a shiny new car, a promotion at work, and a fresh smoking habit, yet he cannot remember the year that just passed. The familiar family rhythms reappear in microcosm: Leozinho, Bruno Braga, asks for money; Luana brings a new boyfriend into the fold; and Tio Victor, José Rubens Chachá, bolts from the dinner table with the turkey. The ritual repeats itself, leaving Jorge to wonder how many holidays have blotted together in his life.
By 2012, Jorge wakes again with no memory of the previous year, and he schemes to dodge another Christmas entirely. He leans on sleeping pills, hoping to skip the inevitable family gathering and the endless parade of expectations that come with the holiday season. Yet the cycle persists, nudging him toward a reckoning he can no longer dodge.
The years widen the picture, and in 2021 Laura intervenes, thwarting another pill-induced escape. Jorge learns more startling truths: he has undergone two bypass surgeries as a consequence of his smoking, and he is entangled in an ongoing affair with Márcia, his secretary at work. Márcia, Danielle Winits, becomes a focal point as the life he thought he was living collides with the life he might have had.
2022 finds Jorge facing a fractured family. He divorces Laura and moves in with Márcia, only to uncover a pre-recorded video from his future self urging him to embrace his new life. A dark moment follows a suicide attempt, but the narrative expands to reveal that his son has graduated from college, Tio Victor has died, and Laura still harbors feelings for him. As the night unfolds, Jorge pleads with Laura not to give up on their connection, even as Márcia’s hopes ride alongside him.
In 2023, a twist of fate lands Jorge on a secluded island, where he learns that his life with Laura has endured, even under the shadow of Nhanhão’s curse. Each Christmas Eve becomes a new vacation with his family, and as the years pass, he learns that he has become a grandfather, that his brother-in-law Leo has grown wealthy, and that his daughter faces terminal breast cancer. To spend precious time with her, they revisit her favorite movie, Shrek the Halls, a film she had urged him to watch back in 2010. The next year brings devastating news: his daughter passes away.
Near the end of the night, Nhanhão gives Jorge a blunt instruction: simply “make a wish.” After Laura brings out his birthday cake, Jorge closes his eyes and makes a wish, only to awaken once more on Christmas Eve of 2010. This time, he is determined to choose differently, to pause the cycle and steer his life toward healthier paths and deeper connections. The loop, while stubborn, becomes a canvas for recalibrating his priorities, preserving the joys of family, memory, and love across another chance at life.
make a wish
Just Another Christmas Timeline
Follow the complete movie timeline of Just Another Christmas (2020) with every major event in chronological order. Great for understanding complex plots and story progression.
2010 Christmas Eve: Nhanhao's warning and a fall from the roof
Jorge wakes on Christmas Eve ready for the holiday, where his grandfather-in-law Nhanhao, who has not spoken for years, warns him to learn the true meaning of Christmas. Later, at his wife Laura's bidding, he dresses as Santa and climbs onto the roof, but he slips and knocks himself unconscious. The fall sets off the mysterious curse that traps him in a yearly loop.
2011 Christmas Eve: A new life with no memory of the past year
Jorge awakens on Christmas Eve 2011 with a new car, a promotion, and a secret smoking habit, yet he cannot remember the year that just passed. The gaps leave him confused as familiar faces and events reassert themselves without his memory. The cycle continues as he faces the same family dynamics.
2011 recurring family dramas
Despite the amnesia, regular Christmas Eve tensions resurface: Leo asks him for money, Luana brings a new boyfriend to dinner, and Tio Victor storms off with the turkey. The repetition underscores the hollow festivity Jorge can't fully participate in.
2012 Christmas Eve: sleeping pills to escape the cycle
In 2012, Jorge again wakes with no memory of the previous year and resolves to avoid the family by taking sleeping pills each time he resets. The tactic shows his desperation to dodge awkward gatherings but confuses the timeline even further.
2021 Christmas Eve: confronting reality and secrets
Laura stops him from taking pills, forcing Jorge to confront the changes in his life. He learns he has undergone two bypass surgeries due to smoking and hides an ongoing affair with his secretary Márcia. The truth disrupts the cycle and offers a glimpse of consequences behind his addiction.
2022 Christmas Eve: a shattered life and a guiding video
Jorge discovers he has divorced Laura and moved in with Márcia, and he finds a pre-recorded video from the year-long Jorge urging him to enjoy his new life. A suicide attempt and revelations follow: his son has graduated, Tio Victor has died, and Laura still has feelings for him.
2023 Christmas Eve: island exile and continued curse
On a secluded island, Jorge learns he has reconciled with Laura but remains trapped by Nhanhao's curse, waking each Christmas Eve to travel with his family. The cycle persists as the years pass, with the family dynamics evolving in the background.
Mid-2020s: family milestones and a looming tragedy
Across the following years, Jorge becomes a grandfather and learns that Leo has become rich, while his daughter develops terminal breast cancer. To spend time with her, father and daughter watch her favorite film Shrek the Halls, a movie she begged him to watch back in 2010.
The daughter's death and a final test of fate
The next year, Jorge learns that his daughter has died, marking a devastating turn in the timeline. The day culminates with Nhanhao pressuring him to make a wish, a signal that the cycle may reset.
The wish and the reset toward a second chance
After Laura brings out his birthday cake, Jorge makes a wish as Nhanhao instructs, and he awakens again on Christmas Eve in 2010. The reset promises a chance to make different life choices, including saving a breast cancer leaflet for his daughter.
New loop starts: 2010, with resolve to change
Jorge finds himself back in 2010 with his memories from the future lingering in his mind. He resolves to alter his habits and relationships, carrying the plan to be a better husband and father, and to preserve more thoughtful reminders like the breast cancer leaflet.
Ending note: new Christmas cycle and hope
With the new loop in effect, Jorge begins a renewed life path, using the knowledge from the preceding years to improve daily decisions and relationships. He still shares Christmas Eve with his family, now guided by a stronger resolve and the memory of the lessons learned.
Just Another Christmas Characters
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Jorge (Maurício de Barros)
A Christmas-born man who hates his own birthday, Jorge starts off gruff and self-centered. The time loop and family interactions force him to reflect, take responsibility, and pursue healthier life choices, including confronting an ongoing affair with his secretary.
Laura (Elisa Pinheiro)
Jorge’s wife who pushes for Christmas traditions and faces the fallout of his actions. She embodies resilience as their relationship undergoes turmoil, including a divorce and eventual efforts to repair what remains of their family bond.
Vô Nhanhão (Levi Ferreira)
The silent, long-time grandfather whose sudden guidance challenges Jorge to understand the true meaning of Christmas. His cryptic influence and silence drive the moral test at the heart of the loop.
Márcia (Danielle Winits)
Jorge’s secretary and secret lover, whose presence complicates the marriage and amplifies the emotional stakes as the years unfold. Her relationship with Jorge tests loyalty and honesty within the family orbit.
Tio Victor (José Rubens Chachá)
The easily offended uncle whose conflicts add comic relief to Christmas dinners. He embodies the friction between generations that recurs with each yearly reset.
Leozinho (Miguel Rômulo)
A member of the younger generation whose presence marks the passage of time within the family. His experiences reflect how the loop shapes growth, relationships, and aspirations across ages.
Beatriz (Chrystal Faini)
Another family member whose presence underscores the multi-generational nature of the Christmas gathering and the secrets kept across the years.
Aninha (Criança) (Lara Kunsch)
Representative of the youngest generation, her innocence contrasts with adult revelations revealed over the loops, highlighting how love and loss affect families across time.
Just Another Christmas Settings
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Time period
2010-2023
The narrative spans multiple Christmas Eves—from 2010 onward—each year resetting the timeline and forcing the protagonist to confront changes in his life. The loop revisits key family events, health revelations, and relationship upheavals, gradually revealing the impact of past choices. The cycle culminates with a revelation that prompts a final choice and a reset to 2010.
Location
Family home, Secluded island
The story mainly unfolds inside a family home during Christmas Eve gatherings, anchored by yearly rituals like the rooftop Santa moment. As the years progress, the family dynamic and the holiday atmosphere provide a backdrop for personal reckoning. In 2023, parts of the tale shift to a secluded island, highlighting the consequences of the looping fate on the family.
Just Another Christmas Themes
Discover the main themes in Just Another Christmas (2020). Analyze the deeper meanings, emotional layers, and social commentary behind the film.
🔁
Time Loop
A supernatural time-loop traps Jorge in a repeating sequence of Christmas Eves. Each cycle compels him to face the consequences of his actions and reassess what truly matters, driving character growth through repetition.
👪
Family
Family dynamics, expectations, and tensions drive the emotional core of the story. The yearly gatherings expose loyalties, secrets, and the enduring bond that persists despite conflict and change.
🚬
Addiction
Jorge’s smoking habit and its health consequences surface across the years, including bypass surgeries. The addiction serves as a catalyst for reflection and a symbol of self-destructive patterns to overcome.
❤️
Relationships & Forgiveness
Romantic entanglements, infidelity, divorce, and reconciliation propel the plot. The evolving relationships test trust and forgiveness as time reshapes choices and possibilities within the family.
Just Another Christmas Spoiler-Free Summary
Discover the spoiler-free summary of Just Another Christmas (2020). Get a concise overview without any spoilers.
In a bustling Brazilian household where Christmas feels both a celebration and a relentless reminder, Jorge finds himself caught in a bewildering loop that forces him to relive the holiday night year after year. Each time he awakens, the familiar glow of lights, the clatter of family dishes, and the expectant chatter of relatives greet him, yet the memories of the year that just passed remain frustratingly blank. This strange curse, hinted at by his stoic grandfather‑in‑law Vô Nhanhão, turns a festive occasion into a puzzle he must solve while the calendar silently flips forward.
The film blends warm, comedic family moments with a subtle, almost magical‑realist tension that keeps the audience guessing what lies beneath the surface of each repeated celebration. Jorge is a man who has always viewed his birthday—coincidentally on Christmas—with a mix of dread and sarcasm, and the loop forces him to confront the very habits and attitudes he’s brushed off for so long. At the heart of the story is his relationship with his wife Laura, whose earnest attempts to involve him in holiday traditions clash with his growing frustration, and a cast of colorful relatives—like the ever‑demanding Leo and the easily offended Tio Victor—who each bring their own brand of chaos and affection to the scene.
As the years pile up without his recollection, Jorge begins to sense that the loop is less about punishment and more about an invitation to look deeper into his choices, his ties to family, and the true spirit of the season. The tone balances heartfelt humor with a gentle melancholy, inviting viewers to wonder whether the repeated Christmases will become a chance for redemption or simply an endless series of missed opportunities. This premise sets the stage for an introspective, yet lively, journey that asks: what would you change if you could live the same day over and over again?
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