Right on time for Thanksgiving, BET+’s newest holiday film will be available to stream. The Day Before Christmas follows a chance encounter between Rashaad and Nia, which forces them to rely on one another so that their holidays won’t be ruined. The stars of the film, Tristan Mack Wilds and Candace Maxwell stopped by the rolling out offices to discuss their upcoming movie.
What about your roles attracted you both?
Tristan: Really being able to do a Christmas film. I think now, being a dad — the movies that I do — I know all of them won’t be something that my daughters can watch right now. [However], this is something that we can actually just put on and watch Daddy for a little while.
Candace: Nia is a type-A, hardworking entrepreneur, single mother. Also, she has a little quirkiness to her: offbeat and kind of funny. I fell in love with that character. And my mother is a single mom, so I felt that I could relate. The role reminded me of my mom and the ultimate sacrifices mothers make for their children, ultimate love and putting us first in every aspect of their lives.
Candace, Nia makes a huge shift in the movie from being fully independent to allowing others to help her. Did you relate to this at all?
Yes. Honestly, that’s the plight of the single mother. Like, growing up with a single mother. That’s exactly how my mom was: I’m gonna do everything on my own. And she taught me the same thing: …get your own house, your own car — you know, do everything yourself. I could see sometimes how this could be the downfall of even my own character because it gets in the way of allowing people to take care of me and to be a part of the community. So, it was nice watching Nia open up and just sort of relax a bit through her relationship with Rashad, and just the day unfolding the way it did. There was no choice but for her to relax and take a back seat and rely on someone.
Tristan, how do you feel we can get our Black women to be more trusting of us?
Figuring out the different ways to create an environment of protection and safety for our Black women. And it’s not always something brute or something that has to be physical. Safety can be just having a place to cry, having a person to talk to. A place to feel comfortable enough to be your vulnerable self and know that you won’t be judged or pushed away. And I think every person is different. I think every woman is different; so, depending on said Black woman, figuring out the things that they need to feel safe and providing those things.
What’s your favorite Christmas memory?
Candace: When we first moved to Atlanta, it was just me, my mom, and my sister. We moved here from New York, living a humble life. And then we moved to the South. I’m, like, wow this is our house. Our first Christmas here in Atlanta in our new home that my mom, like, single mom — shout out to her — bought for us.
Tristan: It was the year that the PlayStation 1 came out. If anybody remembers that, like, ’01. So this is all I wanted. All I wanted was the PlayStation. I told my mom I don’t care about anything else. Christmas comes, [and] I’m opening gifts. It’s underwear; it’s this; it’s that. It’s a bunch of stuff that I didn’t ask for. And I’m, like, all right, cool. I didn’t get the PlayStation, cool. I chalk it up. But my mom was, like, Tristan. I think there’s something shiny under the tree. And I look, and she got the PlayStation from the Sony store. It’s glittery and shining. It’s crazy. And she’s just sitting there with her holding her mug, like that Druski meme.
What do you think viewers will learn from film?
Tristan: I think there is an expectation, especially on Black men, to provide and to be a certain thing. But I also do think that it is necessary to also have an understanding of self. That takes time; that takes self-reflection; that takes understanding of self and just self-love. It takes a whole lot of that.
Candace: It’s hard to be vulnerable. Like, it’s hard to be vulnerable, especially as an adult. Being out here in the world of dating, it’s terrifying. And then Nia’s character in particular was a widow. So not only is she dealing with a broken heart and raising her daughter, it’s, like, how do I allow love in again? But, like Tristan said, I think it comes with knowing yourself and your worth and taking your time with people.
