Like every child from the 80’s, I have a story about how I managed to get my very own Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). It isn’t as exciting or poignant as Jake Doyle’s in 8-Bit Christmas, but it is equally memorable. 8-Bit Christmas, now streaming on HBO Max is a nostalgic, feel-good Christmas film about a ten-year old’s quest to get the greatest video game system for Christmas. Relatable and humorous, 8-Bit Christmas is one of the best Christmas movies I’ve seen in a long time.
8-Bit Christmas
As soon as I saw the trailer for 8-Bit Christmas, I immediately put it on my must-watch list. I grew up in the 80s, and the film brought back so many memories of my own childhood. The 80s were a simpler time, and anyone who grew up in that era understands why there is so much nostalgia surrounding it.
8-Bit Christmas stars Neil Patrick Harris, Winslow Fegley, June Diane Raphel and Steve Zahn in an endearing story about a ten-year-old boy who has his heart set on getting the latest and greatest video game system of all time. Anyone growing up in the 80s remembers the phenomenon that was and is Nintendo. I still have my Nintendo Entertainment System, and every portrayal surrounding it in the film was spot-on.
The film is set in suburban Chicago, and is at its core, a story about the adventures of childhood and the importance of valuing people over things. Adapted from author Kevin Jakubowski’s 2013 novel of the same name, 8-Bit Christmas feels more like a Christmas classic than a contemporary film. The story is told from the perspective of grown-up Jake (Neil Patrick Harris) and from the moment the film started, it felt very reminiscent of the classic film, A Christmas Story.
Now an adult with a daughter of his own, Jake (Harris) tells her the story of how he secured the greatest video game system of all time after her attempts to get a smart phone are shot down. Ten-year-old Jake Doyle (Winslow Fegley) will do anything to get his hands on the Nintendo Entertainment System, and he does. I love the way the story is told, through flashbacks and narrated by Harris in the cinematic art form that resembles some of the greatest classics.
The story of how Jake gets his Nintendo begins with rich kid Timmy Keane, who invites the local elementary kids to his house for a chance to play his Nintendo in his fancy basement. Juxtaposed against Jake’s own working-class family compels and fuels his aspirations. It doesn’t help that his parents absolutely refuse to buy him the video gaming system. From selling wreaths with his fellow Scouts to selling baseball cards, Jake and his friends will do anything to get the NES.
Admittedly, the 80s references were absolutely nostalgia-inducing for me. Lizzie’s (Jake’s sister) dream of owning a Cabbage Patch Kid mirrors my own, and I remember the day my father drove all around LA in search of that prized doll (I still have her!). There is so much to love about the 80s and the filmmakers managed to include just enough to elicit a ton of memories.
8-Bit Christmas ends unexpectedly, but perfectly. The lessons about valuing people over things is timely, particularly in our highly tech-centric world. The innocence of an era and the magic of childhood have me longing for a simpler time. Stream 8-Bit Christmas on HBO Max.
8-Bit Christmas Printables and Activity Sheets
Make it a family movie night with our free 8-Bit Christmas printables and activity sheets!
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We watched 8 Bit Christmas on Saturday night. We were teens in the 80’s so we enjoyed all the nostalgia. It’s a fun family movie with a great ending.