Happiest Season is the Christmas rom-com that could have very well been the gem of the holiday season and although it is a splendid and very watchable rom-com that passes an hour and 40 minutes, it really isn’t much more unfortunately and is ultimately a rather frustrating film that doesn’t put enough focus on its best assets and spends a little bit too much time with its shoddier aspects.

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The film is the semi-autobiographical sophomore directorial effort of actress Clea Duvall, along with marking the screenwriting debut of Mary Holland who appears in the film as Jane. The film is a mostly wonderful holiday romantic comedy following the trials and tribulations of a lesbian named Harper, played by Mackenzie Davis, returning home to her family with her new girlfriend Kristin Stewart (Abby). The issue is of course that Harper has yet to come out to her family and hence great stress is put upon the relationship and both contemplate the nature of it. This is where Duvall and Holland place most of the screen time, exploring Davis and Stewart’s relationship and the struggles of coming out. These scenes are clearly very truthfully written, from the auto-biographical elements that Duvall has eluded to. Davis and Stewart do a great job and bring great pained love to them, we do believe that the two characters love each other and that the relationship is clearly built upon something. As a matter of fact it is this chemistry that makes us want to keep watching. However, perhaps too much time is spent here and we end up veering further and further away from the comedy of the film, which is certainly its best aspect, although that too many times fails to land overly well. It’s not that the lines aren’t funny, it’s just a handle on tone really isn’t present, which becomes a real struggle for the film as it continues and we begin to flit between series scenes and completely farcical ones more frequently. Overall Duvall’s direction is pretty bland and serviceable which I could say is fine for the material, but it would have been nice to have a few more moments of inspiration along the way to help the pace along, which does dip in sparring moments.

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The film is not the laugh out loud comedy of the year, but its comedy is repeatedly inspired and generally quite witty. It is certainly helped a lot by the marvellous ensemble cast that has been amassed for the film, which is without a shadow of a doubt the film’s best asset in its arsenal. Holland has made a terrific comedic character for herself in Jane, the wackiest of the three centre sisters, delivering all of the lines with great humour, as well as lots of realism and drama in the later scenes. We do care for all of our characters and the situations that they are in, that cannot be said quite enough, I don’t think. Alison Brie is our sister, wonderful as the cold ice queen Sloane, but Brie does manage to give great weight to all of Sloane’s harsher moments and manages to make them feel wholly justified in the context of the plot and her character. Dan Levy is terrific as John, more or less bringing us another turn as his own marvellous comedy creation David Rose, there isn’t too many wrinkles separating the two characters, but I really would never complain to get more David Rose in my life (especially after that sensational show taking its final bow this past summer). Aubrey Plaza is genuinely excellent as Riley, our possible spanner in the works. Plaza is so humorous and endearing in this film that an entire social media campaign has been launched, which I allude to in my P.S later. Victor Garber doesn’t get much comedy to do, but holds most of the drama in the film and does a great job with that. I do keep saying a lot of positives, but the film’s overall product really is quite underwhelming, especially when you factor in the positives that I keep mentioning it. Mary Steenburgen’s Tipper, our mother in all this, is commented on at one point by Dan Levy’s character as “fabulous” – I quite frankly, couldn’t agree more. Steenburgen is the best part of the film, so finely tuned in her comedy and delicate in her drama that the film practically gags for her to return onto the screen and her absence from the majority is a huge detriment to the film as a whole. Overall it really is just a fine rom-com effort, but unfortunately nothing to write home about. 

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A fine, but ultimately disappointing 5/10, which repeatedly shows great potential in its humour, its romance and its heart, but only infrequently delivers quality in those fields. All in all it’s worth a winter watch, with plenty of warmth and comedy on display. Just not one that I think that I will ever find myself returning to.

P.S. I do believe that there is a current Twitter movement surrounding the possibility Abby being better off with Riley. And yes, to put it plainly, I couldn’t agree more. 

-Thomas Carruthers