“Happiest Season” released to Hulu on Nov. 25, and proved itself as another funny and cliche Christmas movie. This movie is nowhere near perfect, but it is a great movie to add to the list of films to watch this season.
The film follows the lesbian couple, Abby and Harper, as they go to Harper’s home for Christmas. However, Harper’s family does not know she is a lesbian or that she is dating a woman. Harper tells her family that Abby is her roommate and an orphan who needs a family for Christmas. She is afraid to disappoint her parents because they expect everyone in their family to be perfect.
The movie wants the audience to root for the couple, but does not give them a reason to. Most of the film’s runtime is spent with Abby and Harper arguing about the situation, and making Harper unlikable.
Harper mistreats Abby throughout the film. Harper makes Abby stay silent about their relationship after begging her to join her for Christmas. She attempts to make Abby jealous by spending time with her ex-boyfriend, and proceeds to abandons Abby at nearly every event they attend.
The couple hardly has any moments where they get along. Instead, the movie spends a lot of time developing the friendship between Abby and a woman named Riley. Abby and Riley have 10 times the chemistry Abby has with Harper.
Despite the main relationship not having enough development, the movie still shines in its comedy and holiday spirit. The supporting cast of “Happiest Season” delivers plenty of humorous performances and carries the film.
Daniel Levy plays a friend of Abby and Harper. His character often offers humorous advice to Abby while participating in a running gag where he fails to take care of pets while his neighbors are home for the holidays. Mary Steenburgen, who plays Harper’s mother, also brings a great comedic performance. She has a subtle way of pacing and delivering her lines to make scenes extra funny.
“Happiest Season” offers plenty of moments to put one in the holiday spirit. There are plenty of Christmas songs and sets that reflect the time of year. Not to mention, the movie shows the bickering of family members that would remind anyone of their own homes during the holiday season.
When it comes to Harper coming out as a lesbian, the movie does a great job at it. The scene is sweet and the audience feels for Harper as she stops hiding herself from her family. The audience also gets to see Abby’s perspective of the moment, and how it affects her.
Overall, “Happiest Season” is exactly what one would expect. It has the funny and cute Christmas scenes one wants to see at this time of year, while also showing a woman’s journey of coming out to her family. If one wants to see a typical Christmas movie with a slight twist, they should check this one out.
The Hilights:
Price: Free with $5.99 subscription to Hulu
Available On: Hulu
Cast: Kristen Stewart, MacKenzie Davis, Daniel Levy, Mary Steenburgen, Victor Garber, Alison Brie, Aubrey Plaza, Mary Holland
Director: Clea DuVall
Release Date: Nov. 25
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars