Plot Summary
An Almost Christmas Story, directed by Pete’s Dragon director David Lowery, follows a mischievous young owl, Moon, who decides to help his papa fix their nest, only to be attacked by a predator and asked by his papa to stay put in a tree.
This time, Moon doesn’t waver, even when the tree is transported to Rockefeller Plaza in New York City. There, with the help of some unusual friends—Luna, a little girl with a prosthetic leg; Peaky, Punt, and Pat, three very city-savvy pigeons; and Dave the dog—Moon embarks on a journey to return home.
What happens to Moon?
Moon is a mischievous little owlet who crashes into his nest yet again. To fix the nest, his father goes off to find branches, asking the children to stay where they are. But little Moon thinks he can help his papa fix the nest before he returns.
So, he takes off, only to be attacked by a predator after getting distracted by shiny lights in the distance. His father intervenes, and Moon crashes onto the branches, hurting his wing. This time, he waits for his papa to come back, only to get shipped along with the tree to Rockefeller Plaza in New York City.
How does Moon meet Luna?
At Rockefeller Plaza, Moon accidentally crash-lands on the ice-skating rink, where he meets a little girl, Luna, who has a prosthetic leg. She is trying to skate but crashes into Moon, causing them both to fall.
Later, after she leaves, Moon encounters a group of bullying pigeons who chase him through New York City until he meets Luna again, this time alone on the subway.
Is Moon able to go back home?
Luna gets lost in the subway while on her way home. This is when she meets Moon and takes him to her shelter. The two unlikely friends, both in similar situations, explore the city together.
Just when Luna feels disheartened, Moon is reunited with the same pigeons who had chased him earlier, but this time, they offer to help him find his way back home. Luna and Moon follow the pigeons to Rockefeller Plaza, where one of the pigeons helps Moon return to his tree.
By now, Luna has gained enough courage to ask for help. She tells an officer that she needs assistance getting back home, gesturing to Moon to indicate she’s also helping the little owl. They are finally able to help Moon return to the forest, where he reconciles with his family.
How are Luna and Moon similar?
Moon, a lost owlet with a broken wing, mirrors his human companion Luna, a little girl with a prosthetic leg who is lost while riding the subway alone and struggling to find her way back home. Their names are also symbolically linked, with Luna being Latin for “moon.”
These two characters serve as reflections of each other, bonding over their shared circumstances despite their language barrier. By the end of the film, inspired by a folk singer who ignites a sense of courage in both characters and by Moon’s determination to return home, Luna overcomes her fears, finds the courage to ask for help, and achieves her goal of skating, despite her unique challenges.