| Release date: 25 November 2020 (USA) Genre: Comedy, drama, romance IMDb rating: 6.7 Director: Clea DuVall Cast: Kristen Stewart, Mackenzie Davis, Dan Levy, Aubrey Plaza, Alison Brie, Mary Holland |
I remember the day I first saw the news that Kristen Stewart and Mackenzie Davis were going to play a couple in a Christmas film and oh man my senses were tingling right away. Two of my favorite actresses in a rom-com? How can I not like it?
‘Happiest Season’ tells the tale of Abby who is invited by her girlfriend Harper to her family’s Christmas celebrations. When Abby realizes that Harper still hasn’t come out to her parents, both of them are forced to lay low till they find the perfect opportunity to tell the parents the big news. The thing is – I pretty much knew how the film would play out. There weren’t any gigantic twists or shocking revelations. It’s a pretty standard Christmas rom-com with two beautiful actresses. But what made Happiest Season movie so much enjoyable were the leads – Kristen Stewart and Mackenzie Davis and the wonderful supporting cast.
You might think that swapping two straight leads for a queer couple wouldn’t bring much difference to a rom-com but it really does.
Even when I knew that the story didn’t have many high stakes I was pretty much happy the whole length of the movie. And a big credit goes to all the colorful and varied characters who liven up every scene of the movie. Kristen Stewart and Mackenzie Davis as Abby and Harper were great and had nice chemistry. Abby really was the sweet, caring, and awkward friend we all wish we had. Dan Levy and Aubrey Plaza were too good in their short roles and I absolutely needed more of them. Alison Brie, Mary Holland, Mary Steenburgen, and Victor Garber were also nice additions to the star-packed cast.
Setting the film around Christmas was a nice touch. The costumes, music, colorful and cheery setup were all easy on the senses and laid the way for some hilarious situations. The comedy really did work for me, with the Christmas party scene a hilarious standout. As for the romance, I wish it was given more importance as much as it was given in the final scenes. But remember when I said the queer twist was a nice idea? The film made a good point in showing how a closeted person obsesses over their parents’ approval like Harper which in turn causes some rifts in Abby and Harper’s relationship.
It would be easy to categorize Harper as a bad girlfriend but I feel she gets too much hate. If you’re a part of a conservative family with dysfunctional siblings, things tend to happen like in the film.
I was not looking for any masterpiece when I was watching this film. All I wanted was a funny and heartwarming Christmas rom-com with some of my favorite actors. And I got exactly that.
It would be unfair to expect this film to be the next landmark film in LGBTQ+ film history but it certainly is an important film in terms of representation in mainstream commercial Hollywood.
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Queer representation has come this far which is all the more reason to look forward to the bright future. ‘Happiest Season’ is one such beautiful film bursting with charm and charisma of the tremendous actors gracing the screens.
My Rating:
