No three things go better together than Christmas, chaos, and love. That is, if the romcom genre has anything to say about the season. Happiest Season certainly has all three of these things in spades. When Abby (Kristen Stewart) goes to meet her girlfriend Harper’s (Mackenzie Davis) parents over Christmas, her plan to propose goes awry when Harper reveals that she hasn’t come out to her family yet. With family drama, old exes galore, and Harper’s father’s mayoral run in jeopardy, the stakes have never been higher. Can Abby and Harper’s relationship survive secrecy and a hometown Christmas? Directed by Clea DuVall, what follows is both a fun holiday romp and a nuanced discussion about the nature and plurality of identity.
The film’s biggest assets are its actors. The MVPs of Happiest Season are, without a doubt, Daniel Levy, who plays Abby’s friend John, and Mary Holland, who plays Harper’s younger sister Jane. Both actors have excellent comedic chops, but they also both shine when given the opportunity to show off the more emotional and serious sides of their characters. Aubrey Plaza, whose role is more dramatic than comedic, is another stand-out. Her character is sympathetic, and grounds what could have otherwise become a disconnected, overly-comedic narrative. Something special about Happiest Season, despite all its laughs, is its emotional nuance. There are some one-dimensional comedic characters, but most of the major characters in the film have a refreshing depth to them.
Happiest Season portrays a very specific kind of coming out story, and a very specific experience of the world. However, the film acknowledges this, and the plurality of stories out there. In a monologue delivered by Levy, which is essentially the emotional core of the film, he reminds Abby, and the audience, that everyone has their own story, and that the coming out narrative is an extremely personal one. This explicit textual reminder of the film’s own limitations is refreshing. While it doesn’t solve those limitations, it’s still a step in the right direction.
The main aspect of Happiest Season holding it back is, unfortunately, its central romance. In a film filled with comedic actors bringing their A game to the table, Stewart and Davis don’t get the chance to show off their comedic skills. They don’t do a bad job, they just don’t stand out as much as their co-stars. Problems with the film’s pacing and characterization don’t help them either. A great deal of the film hinges on the theme of identity, especially in the case of Harper, and how she changes when she returns home. However, we only get to see a handful of short scenes between Abby and Harper before they begin to hide their relationship, so we never get to see their relationship pre-secrecy outside of snapshots. We’re told it’s great, and that Abby wants to marry Harper, but it makes it hard to root for them as a couple when we barely get to see them happily together. This becomes especially problematic toward the end of the film, as Harper distances herself further from Abby. The film tries very hard to get the audience to sympathize with her, and Davis gives it her all, but with all that happens in Happiest Season it still wasn’t enough. Additionally, the film doesn’t give enough time for Harper and Abby to truly resolve their issues, instead skipping ahead one year after the major plotlines are resolved. The intent of that time jump is understandable, as it allows the audience to see the trajectory of the characters’ lives after that fateful Christmas. However, once again the film tells the audience that Harper and Abby have an excellent relationship without actually showing it. This makes the ending feel somewhat hollow.
Happiest Season is not the end-all-be-all of LGBT+ representation, and that’s okay. The story itself acknowledges the plurality and diversity of LGBT+ stories, identities, perspectives, and experiences. Hopefully we will see more of those represented in cinema in the coming years, but Happiest Season is a good first step. If holiday fun is something you’re interested in, and you love a good romcom, then this film is for you.
3/5 STARS