Families can be hard, especially when a tragic event strikes. If you couple that with the holidays—an already stressful time—you can quickly get overwhelmed. But, sometimes, there is beauty in the struggle.

Goodbye June, which streams on Christmas Eve, throws all those elements together. The script comes from Joe Anders, his first, and is directed by his mother, Kate Winslet, who makes her feature directing debut. That makes it a family story on screen and off.

The film focuses on June (Helen Mirren), who collapses at home while making tea. Her son, Connor (Johnny Flynn), and husband, Bernie (Timothy Spall), set out for the hospital. While there, awaiting word, Connor sets about contacting his family—sisters Julia (Winslet), Helen (Toni Collette), and Molly (Andrea Riseborough).

Once gathered, the family gets the news. June’s cancer has spread. There is no hope of treatment. Her time is running out, quickly. Though it’s just two weeks to Christmas, she’s not expected to see the holiday. Devastated, her husband and children begin to adjust to the news.

While June remains in the hospital, her family rallies around her. But their old tensions and mistrust bubble to the surface. Can they come together in a new way before it’s too late?

This is an all-star cast assembled in service of a story idea with plenty of potential. It’s amazing to see these actors together and playing off one-another. And yet, it doesn’t all quite come together as you might hope and expect.

It’s been a busy Fall season for Netflix, with major releases dotting the calendar since the end of September. I was curious about this because I am a fan of Winslet and because of the sterling cast. It felt like it got lost in the marketing shuffle in December, and I think that’s in part because it’s not a film that stands out in any compelling way.

It’s a Christmas film, but there’s not a lot of Christmassy things in it. It’s a deep family drama, and there are some good moments—like a scene where Winslet and Riseborough air their grievances and come together as sisters—but the characters and the story feel a bit thinly drawn. There is a lot of potential and some good moments, but it lacks the depth to create emotional heft.

I liked Winslet’s direction. Many of the scenes had a good flow and she does a nice job teasing out some of the bigger emotional moments. There just wasn’t quite enough connective tissue to help them hit as they should.

In the end, Goodbye June is an easy enough watch during the holiday break. It’s not always easy but it’s a well-crafted tale.

Goodbye June streams December 24 on Netflix.

Matthew Fox is a graduate of the Radio, Television and Film program at Biola University, and a giant nerd. He spends his free time watching movies, TV, and obsessing about football. He is a member of the FSWA. You can find him @knighthawk7734 on Twitter and as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast.