Warning! This post contains spoilers for Nutcrackers.
One of severalnew Christmas movies in 2024, Ben Stiller’s heartwarming Christmas comedyNutcrackersis now streaming on Hulu, and its ending is chock-full of touching moments, reveals, and resolutions.Nutcrackers’cast of charactersstars Ben Stiller as Michael, a wealthy commercial real estate agent living in Chicago who is called to act as temporary guardian of his four nephews—played by real-life brothers Homer, Ulysses, Atlas, and Arlo Janson—after their parents tragically die in a car accident. In classic Christmas movie fashion, Michael must transition to life in rural Ohio and his nephews' farm.
Over the course of the movie, Michael becomes better acquainted with this way of life, even killing a chicken for them to eat at one point, and he begrudgingly accepts the nickname ‘Mike’ that he had resisted for the first half of the movie. Even as Uncle Mike, though, Michael is dedicated to getting all four boys adopted by someone else, as he feels he can’t leave his job and life in Chicago to raise them. This culminates in a production of The Nutcracker, which is intended to get the attention of someone who could adopt them.
Does Michael Adopt His Nephews In Nutcrackers' Ending?
The Future Of The Kicklighter Kids Was Uncertain Until The End
ThroughoutNutcrackers, Michael is clear that he does not want to adopt his nephews. Initially, he believes he is only going to Ohio to sign off on some documentation so they can be fostered or adopted by someone else. When he arrives to the family farm, however, the boys' social worker, Gretchen Rice (Linda Cardellini), explains that due to the holiday season, it won’t be easy to get them placed, especially together. Michael remains eager to get this done quickly because of a major work opportunity that requires him to return to the office in just a few days.
This leads to a host of hilarious moments, including Michael taking the boys to a holiday party of a local wealthy man who expresses interest in adopting Michael’s nephews until they drive a golf cart into a nativity scene. Even as Michael makes every effort to get another family interested, though, it’s clear thatGretchen and all four boys are hoping Michael will stay with them. Justice (Homer Janson) in particular frequently asks his Uncle Mike if he will be there when he wakes up in the morning.
Ultimately, Michael does agree to stay and raise his nephews.
Nutcrackersholds out until the very end, but ultimately, Michael does agree to stay and raise his nephews. Toward the movie’s end, Michael reveals his intentions to stay with them, and all four boys surround him in a hug, cheering about his decision. During the end credits, additional scenes confirm he kept true to his word. The boys are shown holding presents on Christmas morning, and in the final end credits scene, Michael and Justice take a brand-new 4-wheeler for a test drive, jumping the pool and the trampoline, which the boys have wanted to do since the beginning.
Nutcrackers Review: Ben Stiller Elevates A Generic Holiday Plot That Saves It From Familiarity
With Ben Stiller at the center, David Gordon Green’s Nutcrackers is a solid, if not incredibly memorable, holiday movie that follows a familiar path.
The Meaning Behind Michael’s Dancing Scene Vision In Nutcrackers' Ending
Michael’s Vision Is So Much More Profound Than It First Seems
During the movie’s final scenes, as the boys put on their unique production of The Nutcracker, Michael shuts his eyes and envisions himself throughout the movie’s various scenes with his eyes closed. Then,his vision shifts, and, in tandem with the boys performing The Nutcracker, Michael envisions himself dancing alone on the family’s farm. As The Nutcracker concludes, Michael opens his eyes to find Justice standing over him, offering his hand. It is then that Michael confirms he will be staying with the boys after all.
As Michael’s movements match his nephews' dancing, the vision becomes symbolic of him finally coming to understand the boys.
The meaning of this vision is multi-layered, each layer more touching than the next. On the surface, this is a visual representation of Michael deciding he will adopt his nephews. Much more is going on below the surface, though. As Michael’s movements match his nephews' dancing, the vision becomes symbolic of him finally coming to understand the boys. ThroughoutNutcrackers, their life in Ohio felt entirely foreign to Michael, from the boys being homeschooled to the house being filled with animals. As their movements come together, however, Michael finally truly connects with them.
Subtly,this is also an homage to Michael’s sister, Janet, who died. Janet was a dancer, and several times, Michael lamented his sister’s decision to leave her life as a dancer in New York to live this life in Ohio. Michael comes to find out that his sister had a dance studio in Ohio he never knew about, though, and never actually gave up on her dream—it just looked different now. This vision of Michael dancing is a way for him to say goodbye to the sister he hadn’t been close with in the end but clearly loved deeply.
What Happens With The Nutcracker Performance In Nutcrackers' Ending
The Nutcracker Performance Doesn’t Go According To Plan
Although the boys did ultimately perform The Nutcracker, it didn’t go at all the way Michael expected. The latter half of the movie was spent with Michael and his nephews preparing for a fairly significant production of The Nutcracker, even getting news coverage of the event and booking a theater in town. When one of the boys, Simon, overhears Michael telling Gretchen he can’t raise"four pain in the ass kids,“this plan is completely derailed.
Instead of entirely abandoning the performance,the kids move the ballet to the streets, right beside the memorial to the boys' parents, where the couple sadly crashed. Heartbreakingly, Justice even says,“We’re not dancing for Mike, guys. If we do this, we’re gonna be dancing for Mom and Dad.“Ultimately, the townspeople all move to that location, Michael among them, and they watch the performance to its end.
Was There Something Romantic Between Gretchen And Michael?
From the moment Michael arrived at the farm and met Gretchen, it was clear there was a spark. However, unlike many Christmas movies, this relationship was far from the focus ofNutcrackers. At one point, the boys tease Michael about liking Gretchen, butMichael and Gretchen never officially establish a relationship in the movie.
The biggest hint about whether the two end up together comes in an end credits scene. As the boys are unwrapping their Christmas presents, Gretchen pulls up to the house on a motorcycle, and Michael goes out to greet her, handing her a gift. Although there is little intimacy beyond that, it seems clear they do get together. While it could be argued that Gretchen is just checking in, it would be a bit unusual for a social worker to do so on Christmas Day.
What Michael’s Decision About His Nephews Means For His Job In Chicago
Throughout The Movie, Michael Was Concerned About The Impact On His Career
Nutcrackersdoesn’t get into the fallout of Michael’s decision to stay and raise his nephews in terms of his job and life in Chicago, although the implications are pretty clear.With Michael staying in Ohio, it seems most likely he left his real estate job and moved full-time to the family farm. There was little tying Michael to Chicago other than his job—he mentions at one point that he had been in a serious relationship, but it didn’t work out—so in terms of his social and personal life, this move makes sense.
Despite his job being paramount for most of the movie, in the end, this also doesn’t seem like a major loss. Michael’s boss, Carol, comes across as cold and self-centered throughout the movie, a typical representation of corporate bosses in Christmas movies. By the end ofNutcrackers, Michael seems much less concerned about his job, and it’s safe to assume he quit, likely finding real estate work locally.
By the end ofNutcrackers, Michael seems much less concerned about his job, and it’s safe to assume he quit, likely finding real estate work locally.
The Real Meaning Of Nutcrackers' Ending Explained
In The End, Michael Realized What Really Mattered To Him
Like many ofthe best Christmas movies,in the end,Nutcrackersis about Michael realizing what really matters in life—family and love. His lack of empathy early on in the movie, which was at times jarring given these boys had just lost both their parents tragically and suddenly, has entirely dissolved by the end, and he recognizes that staying is the right thing to do. This is a classic lesson for holiday movies, with Michael going from the typical hot-shot, big city professional to someone compassionate and connected to family.
Nutcrackersdoes manage to put an original spin on this, though. Often, Christmas movies focus on the romantic angle of this narrative, yetNutcrackersintentionally sidelines that story in favor of a unique one about an uncle and his estranged nephews learning to understand and appreciate one another.Nutcrackers’ending is truly a beautiful pay-off for what proved to be an emotional and wholesome new Christmas movie.
Nutcrackers
Cast
Nutcrackers is a family drama film by director David Gordon Green and starring Ben Stiller. Stiller plays Mike, who, after his siblings pass away in a tragic car accident, heads to the heart of Ohio to care for his nephews in the aftermath. Though initially hesitant, Mike realizes they may be the family he’s always needed.
