Happiest Season

Happiest Season
Image source: Google

Ratings: 4/5

Duration: 1 Hr 42 Mins

Language: English

Genre: Comedy, Romance

Director: Clea DuVall

Writers: Clea DuVall, Mary Holland

Producers: Marty Bowen, Wyck Godfrey, Isaac Klausner, Jonathan McCoy

Music: Amie Doherty

Cinematography: John Guleserian

Editing: Melissa Bretherton

Art Direction: Maggie Srmayan  

Release Date: 25 November 2020 (USA)

Released On: Hulu

Star Cast: Dan Levy, Alison Brie, Mackenzie Davis, Kristen Stewart, Aubrey Plaza, Jake McDorman, Clea DuVall, Mary Steenburgen, Victor Garber, Mary Holland, Sarayu Blue, Ana Gasteyer, Michelle Buteau, Caroline Harris, Burl Moseley, Gina Jun, Daina Griffith, Daniel Krell, Jenny Gulley, Dominique Allen Lawson, Tiffany Sander McKenzie, Brooke Lawsing, Asiyih N'Dobe, Damian Tanenbaum, Chelsea Banglesdorf, Chris Drexel, Allyson R. Hood, Anis N'Dobe, Tony Amen, Jordan Rhone, Hilda Ivette Rodriguez, Rebecca Hauber, Chris Breen, Mike Ancas, Brian Babik, Alex Brewer, Chris Briley, Dave Edmonds,  Anthony Garcia, Lauren Hopkins, James Howard, John W. Iwanonkiw, Floyd Jackson, Daniel Johnson, William Kania, Trudi Kennedy, Mark Klein, Jim Kuhn, Robert Kwiatkowski, James Lloyd, Christopher Nardizzi, Chuck Ondo, Roger Petan, Stephen C. Poland, Bill Smith, Elaine Marie Smith

Plot: ‘Happiest Season’ tells the story of a lesbian couple named Abby played by Kristen Stewart and Harper played by Mackenzie Davis. Their relationship turns upside down when Harper takes Abby (whose parents passed away ten years prior) home, to her family (who are conservative) for Christmas.

Planning to propose to Harper on Christmas day, little did Abby know that her family was unaware that she was gay.

Whether or not, their relationship would survive by the end of the film, because it certainly faced a fair share of challenges, forms the rest of the story.

Review: It is yet again time to add a new film to the Christmas film rotation. However, this film too has two things which will bring about familiarities - the holiday trope and the romantic comedy trope.

As romantic comedies have consistently been a popular genre for Christmas, with ‘Happiest Season’ which is out on Hulu, director Clea DuVall has tried to break the mold with a romantic comedy that is about a lesbian couple.

The plot skillfully juggles the film's tone in such a way that its real point about the destructive nature of lies people live with and tell others in order to keep things "normal" - hits hard.

Well, meeting a girlfriend's family for the first time can be tough. And planning to propose at her family’s annual Christmas dinner until realizing that they don’t even know she is gay is even harder. Hence, it won’t be wrong to say that this holiday romantic comedy has managed well in capturing the range of emotions tied in wanting family's acceptance, being true to self; and all of this by trying not to ruin Christmas!

 

In short, ‘Happiest Season’ has accomplished the herculean task of ticking all the boxes in a charming holiday movie. It is a crowd-pleaser that doesn’t sugar-coat the truth nor tries too hard to please.

When it comes to performances, Kristen Stewart is grounded and emotionally true in every way as Abby. She has also put her comic timing well in use. Even Mackenzie Davis brings layers to her role. They both are lovely together with total meant-to-be ease and ‘Happiest Season’ could not have worked without the chemistry of its leads.

Additionally, Steenburgen and Garber are standouts as Harper's parents. And with actors with proven comedic and dramatic chops including Levy, Plaza, Brie, Holland, and Ana Gasteyer - the film's cast has largely balanced humour and drama well. Moreover, the generosity of the film is in how Clea DuVall presents these characters without judgment and with considerable sympathy.

Overall, ‘Happiest Season’ is a fun and heartfelt romantic comedy that brings a much-needed voice to the holiday rom-com genre. Though existing within familiar narrative boundaries, it still manages to seem fresh, as it is letting the world know that the lesbian-themed holiday films are here to stay!