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. During the month of December, as has become tradition, the Falls Free Press will reprise “The 12 Films of Christmas,” focusing on new holiday movies for the year 2022—a year that can still do with plenty of peace and joy. We will review each film, whether naughty or nice, and let you know where to watch.
Every year Hallmark Channel and Lifetime distribute a large majority of holiday films. These are nearly always family friendly, often a romance, mystery, or both, set in one of three possible locations where a struggling middle-class woman either hates love or the holiday season until she meets a man whose profession directly lines up with a project she is completing, and must admit her faults and fall in love in order to meet her deadline. One main goal of The Twelve Films of Christmas has been to highlight new holiday movies that haven’t been stamped out without creativity in a cookie-cutter story production. That said, there is still something immensely popular about these stories that draw audiences. For that reason, Vince Vaughn and Peter Billingsley hired Hallmark Channel alum Barbara Kymlicka to pen a story with Vaughn in the style of cheesy made-for-tv Hallmark Channel holiday movies. On the surface the movie may look the same, but with Vaughn’s additions, Christmas with the Campbells is one of the funniest and ridiculously raunchy holiday gems this season.
Campbells tells the story of Jesse (played by Brittany Snow) who, after being dumped by her longtime, yet douchey boyfriend Shawn (SNL’s Alex Moffat) is invited to stay with his parents at Christmastime in their cottage-style home in snowy Idaho. The Campbells (played by Julia Duffy and George Wendt) treat Julia like their daughter and are happy Shawn is away on business. While in Idaho, Jesse meets Shawn’s cousin, David (portrayed by Justin Long with an extremely strong down-home southern accent)– plus his adorable dog Polo– and falls in love. To be fair, it’s very difficult not to fall for this dog that owns the film. When Shawn appears home without warning, the new relationship faces challenges as Shawn attempts to hookup again with Jesse.
Apart from the story’s holiday spirit, the script is a constant string of vulgar, sex-positive jokes that reach everywhere from Alex Moffat incorporating aspects of his “Guy who just bought a boat” character from Saturday Night Live, to the Campbells’ antics in the bedroom. Every time the movie feels too kindhearted, a character will complain about somebody’s intentions or the local baker’s overly friendly past with the main characters. Overall Vaughn, Kymlicka, and the film’s stars create the only rated-R holiday movie of this fashion that is just as enjoyable as a rubber-stamp Hallmark creation.
Christmas with the Campbells is available to stream on AMC+.
