If you want to laugh heartily and embrace the spirit of the season, Too Many Christmases is a wonderful choice to add to your movie playlist.
The film centers on Jerome and Kayla, a newlywed couple who divide their Christmas vacation into two activities rather than one in order to spend time with their families. Married couples, particularly newlyweds, can relate to this film.
Featuring a remarkable Black cast that included Denzel Whitaker, Porscha Coleman, Adele Givens, Jackee Harry, Michael Colyar, and Valarie Pettiford, it originally premiered on December 12th on BET+.
Clarence Williams IV, screenwriter, of the film, found joy in bringing the movie to life. This is not his first time writing Christmas movies for the network. He has previously written the BET+ movie So Fly Christmas, which starred Tami Roman from the Basketball Wives and Family Business, and Tichina Arnold (well known for playing Gina’s best friend, Pam, in the hit 90s sitcom, Martin and Rochelle in Everybody Hates Chris).
BET+ 2023 original film, So Fly Christmas, written by Clarence Williams IV; Courtesy of BET+
With over 100 film festival screenings and 75 awards, Williams continues to captivate audiences with his films. Among his many accolades are those from Vancouver’s Bridge Fest, Studio City Film Festival, LA Neo Noir Novel, Film and Script, and others, most of which are for his short films.
He co-owns his production firm, Williams 4 Productions, with his wife, Christina Araujo-Williams. Williams’ films vividly brings stories to life through artistic expression.
The Exclusive Press had an opportunity to catch up with Williams to learn more about the concept behind the movie’s script and his sources of inspiration that helped him develop into the screenwriter he is today.
Williams shared with the Exclusive of the Black classic sitcoms from the 1990s and 2000s, such as Martin, The Wayans Brothers, Smart Guy, and The Jamie Foxx Show, which were mostly seen in Black homes, served as his inspiration.
The veteran screenwriter and filmmaker was approached by one of the BET network executives with the concept of writing another holiday film for the network, about a newlywed couple attempting to balance the Christmas celebrations of two families at the same time.
The movie concept itself was somewhat relatable to his personal experience. According to Williams, he took the networks’ idea and expounded on it, creating distinct families, plenty of antics, and heartfelt drama, while drawing from his own experiences with his humorously unpredictable relatives.
“I found myself in a somewhat similar situation to the two main characters,” Williams said during a virtual interview, hosted by the Jamison Agency, earlier this month. “I live out here [on the West Coast] from the East Coast. So, it’s honestly easy to get to her family,” he said, whose wife is from the West Coast.
“For example, my mom and aunt came out for Thanksgiving, so we spent it together.We did the “too many Christmas” thing, but it wasn’t at the same time. So, we had Thanksgiving dinner early at my mom’s and my aunt’s, and afterward we went to our in-laws,” he said.
While figuring out how to balance their time with their families over the holidays to avoid overcommitting, Williams continued, “We talked and didn’t want to be like [the main movie characters] Jerome and Kayla doing things at the same time.”
Not only is the movie hilarious, but it delivers valuable nuggets and authenticity that he strives for as a storyteller. The film is definitely a useful lesson relatable to newlyweds on deciding which family to spend time with, communicating properly with families, avoiding overcommitting to their individual families, and keeping a healthy balance when spending time with families.
Viewers can watch the film, which is now only available on BET+.
For more information about Williams’ production company, film services, and his films, readers can visit Williams’ website at www.williams4production.com.
