My Review of Happiest Season (2020)

 

Written by Clea DuVall & Mary Holland

Directed by Clea DuVall

Harper: "I know! I just, please let me say this. You are my family! You are the love of my life. I was terrible and I wish that I could undo everything, but I promise you I will make it up to you. I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you, and I won't hurt you like this again. But please, give me another chance. I want to build a life with you. Please?"

Abby: "But, what about your parents?"

Harper: "I don't care what they think. I only care about you. If I have you that's all I need. Be with me?"

2020 might be one of the worst we've had to go through, but on a plus side, it's also been the year where studios have finally realised that audiences have been craving some LGBT romances with a Christmas setting and with four movies out (I'll be tackling two of them for now), let's look at the one that could've been a theatrical release had things panned out differently this year.

Instead this movie went to Hulu (Sky Stores for UK/Irish people) and my god, this was so lovely. Written by both Clea DuVall and Mary Holland, Happiest Season sees Kristen Stewart and Mackenzie Davis play a couple named Abby Holland and Harper Caldwell. Abby has a complicated relationship with Christmas while Harper loves it. In the heat of the moment, Harper invites Abby to spend Christmas with her family. Sweet, huh?

The catch however is that Harper actually isn't out to her family, which Abby has to pretend to be her roommate and contend with Harper's image obsessed family. This included Harper's mother, the newly Instagram loving Tipper (Mary Steenburgen) and father, Ted (Victor Garber), the latter of whom plans to run for Mayor.

On top of that, there's also the rather quirky aspiring author Jane (Mary Holland), the more pristine and competitive Sloane (Alison Brie) whom has a rivalry Harper and while Abby gets to know her girlfriend's family, there's also the exes to contend with. Yup, we get to meet not one but two of Harper's exes.

First of all, there's the former boyfriend, Connor (Jake McDorman) who seemed a little confused as to why him and Harper broke while the ex-girlfriend, Riley (Aubrey Plaza) strikes up a rather nice friendship with Abby while encouraging Harper to fight for her at a crucial moment in the movie. Out of the two, I feel Riley was the better utilised but I also quite liked Connor as well.

Of course, it's at the worst time that Harper and Abby's relationship is revealed and the fallout largely tended to lean towards the positive. Abby and Harper came out of it stronger than ever, Harper and her sisters bonded more and their parents realised that they weren't perfect. Was it cheesy? Oh absolutely. Did this movie make me grin? Absolutely.

Kristen Stewart and Mackenzie Davis were wonderful to watch and the movie did a great job selling them as romantic leads and having you root for both of them. There's a nice supporting role for Schitt's Creek Daniel Levy as Abby's friend, John, though his role is very typical in the romcom setting here but he gets some nice lines and a lovely poignant moment that gives Abby some perspective at the right time.

- Not only did Mary Holland have the role of Jane (she was excellent, btw), but anyone catch the little cameo from Clea DuVall as well?

- Correction: some theatres, including Australia did have this movie in them. Given the reception, I think we'll get more LGBT led Christmas movies.

- Nice cameos from RuPaul's Drag Race alumni Jerick Hoffer (Jinkx Monsoon) and Benjamin Putnam (BenDeLaCreme).

- Standout music: Sia's Candy Cane Lane, Tegan & Sara's Make You Mine This Season and Brandy Clark's Only Time Of Year.

Happiest Season is an absolute triumph of a movie. It's gorgeous, it's cheesy in the right parts, emotional, romantic and funny everywhere and every single member of the cast just brings their A game. I knew I was going to enjoy the movie but I genuinely wasn't prepared for how much I would love this. 

Rating: 10 out of 10