Edward Burns Writes, Directs and Stars in "The Fitzgerald Christmas" [TRAILER]

Everyone is trying to get their holiday trailers out this year, and director Edward Burns is throwing his latest into the pot. The filmmaker, who most recently helped stink up theaters with Alex Cross, is looking to reclaim his good name with a warm family film bursting with festive cheer....well, sorta.

Burns writes, directs and stars in The Fitzgerald Christmas, an indie drama which follows one family as they try to prepare for the holiday just when their estranged father (Ed Lauter) resurfaces after two decades to ask if he could join them at the dinner table.More on the film after the jump:

With The Fitzgerald Family Christmas, Burns returns to the working-class, Irish-American roots of The Brothers McMullen. Reuniting with McMullen co-stars Connie Britton (Friday Night Lights), and Mike McGlone, along with Noah Emmerich (Little Children, Beautiful Girls) and Kerry Bishé (Newlyweds, Red State), Burns seamlessly weaves an ensemble story of adult siblings dealing with the desire of their estranged father (Ed Lauter, The Artist, The Longest Yard) to return home for Christmas for the first time since he walked out on his family 20 years ago. Family rifts emerge, and like with any family, Christmas brings a mixed bag of complicated emotions and dynamics. Alliances form, old wounds are reopened or glossed over, and the possibility for a new hope and forgiveness emerges.

It doesn't sound like the movie strays much from past holiday films just like it, but it will be good to see Burns  in a respectable enough role again. Plus, the cast, which includes Britton, whose been wowing audiences on the small screen recently with both "American Horror Story" and now "Nashville," is pretty great. And I know The Brothers McMullen has a great fan base (even though I haven't seen it).

Check out the first trailer for The Fitzgerald Christmas and a few images below. The movie will be available November 21st On Demand nationwide (Cable VOD, iTunes, Amazon Watch Instantly, VUDU, Samsung Media Hub) and in theaters starting December 7th.