For many people, a familiar pastime in the weeks leading up to major winter holidays is gathering with family members and watching holiday movies, be they in a theater or on television. This year, such plans will have changed for individuals not living with the people they often spend time with during the holiday season, and curfews and lock-downs have forced movie theaters to close. However, this shouldn’t stop us from enjoying holiday movies with friends and family.
During the month of December, therefore, the Falls Free Press will present “The 12 Films of Christmas,” focusing on new holiday movies for the year 2020—a year that can do with plenty of spirit. We will review each film, whether naughty or nice, and let you know where to watch it.
For a wholesome family holiday film, Happiest Season has everything: a couple visiting family for Christmas, a planned proposal, an-ex boyfriend/girlfriend showing up in town unexpectedly, family quirks, one snobby sibling, one bizarre sibling, a family member running for a political seat with possible turmoil, a chaotic white elephant gift exchange, and finally, a beautiful family photo. What’s more, this is the first holiday film made by a large production company about a same-sex relationship with a trailer promoting acceptance, so why wouldn’t Happiest Season become this year’s smash holiday hit?
The answer is that the couple in question are in a toxic relationship that doesn’t end and is barely healed by the end of the movie. This, however, is treated like a normal occurrence that should be celebrated by the family.
Happiest Season tells the story of Abby and Harper (Kristin Stewart and Mackenzie Davis), a couple in love and possibly ready to take the next step in their relationship. After Harper asks Abby to come to her family’s home for Christmas, Abby purchases a ring and makes plans to propose on Christmas. What she doesn’t know, however, is that Harper never came out to her family, and has lied about her relationship and the reason Abby is joining her that weekend.
The romantic comedy feel attempts to remain at the center of the story, picking up occasional hand-holding and an attempted night together in a bedroom without locks, but the romance between the two main characters loses steam pretty early on. Trying to hide her relationship with Abby, Harper starts to spend more time with old classmates, including her ex-boyfriend, while Abby, feeling pushed away and unsure, finds herself congregating with Riley (played by Aubrey Plaza), another of Harper’s exes. Riley came out while the two were dating, but due to Harper being unsure about her family’s reaction, refused to acknowledge this, creating an awkward relationship between them.
Despite this, regular attempts to remind audiences that this is a comedy continue. Abby’s status of “orphan” is often used as a letdown and referenced by Harper’s parents when Abby does something wrong, as is the case when she is accused of stealing from a jewelry store. Harper’s sister Jane (Mary Holland) is a fantasy writer who appears to relay her story to anybody nearby, and her other sister, Sloan (Alison Brie) has two children whose existence is often forgotten. Meanwhile, her mother (played by the fabulous Mary Steenburgen) has become addicted to creating the perfect Instagram account for her husband (Victor Garber), who is running for mayor with somewhat slim chances.
In the three days Riley and Abby are seen together, more of a loving relationship is shown between them than the entirety of the time Abby and Harper are seen together laughing and commiserating over Christmas in the opening scenes of the film. And yet, by the end of the film, upon Harper’s coming out to her family, Abby and Harper open up to each other and appear to be a happy, loving couple once again, despite being forced to hide themselves from family and seemingly treat each other like they’ve wronged each other daily. Even Abby’s friend John (played by Daniel Levy)—who spends the entire film trying to stop her from proposing and attempts to convince her to stop the charade after learning about Harper’s lies—is happy for the couple at the end of the film, making a complete 180 degree turn from his sincere and often comedic tone.
As a romantic comedy, Happiest Season has plenty of jokes and common family frustrations of the holiday, and it could probably be watched multiple times this season. This reporter’s sincere opinion that Abby deserves Riley and Harper doesn’t deserve happiness from anybody comes straight from the story’s treatment of the toxic relationship shown throughout the film that only John even tried to stop.
Happiest Season is available to watch on Hulu.
