Happiest Season is a Christmas LGBTQ+ Rom-Com and it was a lot cuter than I expected. Since there are so many holiday movies on streaming services, my expectations were low, but the trailer for this movie seems really cute so I decided to give it a chance and did not regret it. I loved it.
Happiest Season is directed by Clea DuVall, who I will forever remember as Stokely Mitchell from the The Faculty. I think that there are Easter Eggs for The Faculty in this movie. It's great that she's still in the business. Clea DuVall also co-wrote this movie with Mary Holland who plays Jane, one of the sisters, in this movie. A lot of girl power behind the camera and also in front of it.
The movie follows Abby (played by Kristen Stewart) and Harper (played by Mackenzie Davis), who are a couple and have been for some time. Harper invites Abby to spend the holiday with her family and Abby agrees to go with her. Abby is also really good friends with John (played by the brilliant Dan Levy) and tells him that she plans to ask Harper to marry her on Christmas morning. All the receipt for a wonderful love story.
Unfortunately, when they arrive to Harper's house, Harper tells Abby that she never came out to her parents and that she told them she is bringing her orphan roommate for the holiday. Ouch. Harper has a big family, her father – Ted (played by Victor Garber, forever Andrews from Titanic in my eyes), her mother - Tipper (played by Mary Steenburgen) and her two sister, Jane and Sloane (played by Alison Brie, who barley has any screen time in this movie). You can add an ex, Riley, to the mix (played by Aubrey Plaza, who is surprisingly not awkward in this movie). This is not one big happy family, there is a reason why Harper never came out.
As Harper tries to hide the relationship between herself and Abby, a lot of funny things happen. But at some point the funny line is crossed and it is no longer a funny Rom-Com, but a drama which is painful to watch. I seriously just wanted Abby to dump Harper. In fact I still do. But it is still a Charismas Rom-Com so you know how it is going to end, although it is slightly less predictable on the events that lead-up to the ending.
On the upside, the thing that I liked most about the movie is Kristen Stewart's Abby. Maybe because the character is literally Kristen Stewart causes her to just shine in this movie and she just carried it on by herself with very little help. Mackenzie Davis' just didn't really work in this movie in my opinion. I'm not sure if it's the acting or the script I just didn't like her character. Dan Levy is a scene stealer. He shines every time that he is on screen and he has great lines and great chemistry with Kristen Stewart. I would watch an entire movie about their friendship. On the downside, I have a feeling from what I read online that members of the LGBTQ+ community didn't like the trop of one member of the couple still being in the closet, but I don't watch a lot of Rom-Coms or Christmas movies so it felt fresh to me. I still think that there is more positive than negative in this movie.
So, yeah, it's not an Oscar worthy movie, but it is cute one. It will pass your time pleasantly and charmingly. I don't watch a lot of Christmas movies or a lot of Rom-Coms, so maybe that was an influencing factor as well. But, If you're looking for a new nice Christmas movie to watch, this just might be it.
Plus, you don't need to leave your house as Happiest Season is now available on Hulu.
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