Happiest Season (2020)

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1. 

   BadFluffy

   One of those very rare seasonal movies that manage to be funny and genuine, never running toward one and leaving the other behind, but toeing the line between family comedy and family drama with elegance and good performances. 3 years 4 months ago
2. 

   Siskoid

   Behind am unfortunately generic title, Happiest Season is actually a pretty good Christmas romcom with a large cast of zany characters who all have their own thing going on, comedy "types" until they are needed to drop pretenses and deal with the drama. Writer-director Clea DuVall calibrates these tonal shifts pretty well, and they're thematically consistent too since the film is about the masks we wear when we're with other people. Kristen Stewart's Abby is too authentic to take that pretense for long when she's forced to hide in plain sight after being invited to her girlfriend Harper's family Christmas and we get it, they're very proper, obsessed with appearances, and passive-aggressive in their constant judgment. But the person we relate to is Abby, and we want to shout at her to get the hell out of there (I guess the audience is Dan Levy's characters, a great example of someone who puts on a character and dials it way down when the chips are down, I really liked him in this). Get out of there, these people aren't good beyond the surface. You have more chemistry with Aubrey Plaza's character anyway. But that's a point of view colored by the fact that beyond the question of Harper's coming out to her folks, there's something universal in the isolating experience of spending Christmas with strangers, and your one life line can't be expected to cater to your needs when their whole world is there begging for attention. We relate to one character, but not the other, and taking sides can lead to antagonism for person B, when what is sought is support for person A. In any case, DuVall's resolution is touching despite a big helping of cheese sauce - it's still a Christmas romcom, peeps! - and gives Harper's drama its own due. Now, will someone explain to me how Mary Holland (the youngest sister, and the only one who doesn't struggle with authenticity issues) is NOT related to Sarah Paulson? 3 years 3 months ago
3. 

   gobberpooper

   Really funny good movie for the most part, but it didnt end the way I wish it did. Its an enjoyable movie and you should watch it, but without giving spoilers the relationship in the movie didnt end up how it shouldve. 3 years 4 months ago

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