Local, independent theaters are offering an array of seasonally themed films for those whose holidays aren’t complete without gathering together under the silver screen.

The Screening Room in Newburyport is featuring an independently made film shot in a small town on Cape Cod set the week before Christmas. “Mrs. Worthington’s Party,” which runs Dec. 15 through 23, tells the story of two Catholic priests who were once seminarians together. One, now a leader in the Diocese, is sent to close down a dying parish in a tiny fishing village where the other has settled into a simple routine as the pastor. At the same time, the parishioners are preparing a live crèche to act out for the Christmas season. The two priests must participate in the community drama while also hammering out, in private, the finances of the parish. Enter into this story the lives of the eccentric villagers, including the local librarian who, though a bit old to play the young Mary, agrees.

“‘Mrs. Worthington’s Party” is not for the faint of heart,” says Andrew Mungo of The Screening Room. Very adult themes are covered, he says. “The people do not so much question their faith as grapple with it.”

For more information and show times, call 978-462-3456 or go to www.newburyportmovies.com.

Non-religious themed family fare is on the bill at The Music Hall in Portsmouth. A new re-make of “Lassie” plays Dec. 25 through 28 in the afternoons at 2 p.m. The British-made film has been praised for doing justice to the beloved characters, thanks to an outstanding cast that includes Peter O’Toole and Samantha Morton, to a heart-wrenching storyline, and to the traditional style in which director Charles Sturridge chose to tell the tale—no animated creatures or voice-over sass here.

In the evenings, the all-American dysfunctions of the Hoover family’s American dreams are the heart of “Little Miss Sunshine,” also playing at The Music Hall Dec. 22 through 28 (no show on Christmas Eve) at 7:30 p.m. For more information, call 603-436-2400 or go to www.themusichall.org.

Looking for something shiny and new? The Ioka in Exeter features films that are also playing at the cineplex, but in a much more laid-back atmosphere. On the bill this month: “The Nativity Story” and the new re-make of “Charlotte’s Web.” For more information and show times, call 603-781-8922 or go to www.iokaentertainment.com.