“Happiest Season” Film Review
Add this holiday film to my list of favorites because “Happiest Season” is bound to become a classic. Available on Hulu, this LGBTQ+ holiday comedy stars Kristen Stewart, Mackenzie Davis, Mary Steenburgen, Victor Garber, Alison Brie, Dan Levy, Mary Holland and Aubrey Plaza. Actress Clea DuVall directed the film and wrote the screenplay with one of its stars, Mary Holland. When I saw the preview for the film, I was so excited for it to come out — and it doesn’t disappoint.
Abby (Stewart) and Harper (Davis) are an adorable couple that lives together and have been dating for nearly a year. The time of the year is Christmas, and Abby is not a fan since her parents passed away. So, to make Abby feel better, Harper invites her back to her hometown to spend the holidays with her family. At first Abby hesitates, but then says yes because she wants to meet her family and propose to Harper on Christmas morning.
On the drive to her parents house, Harper drops a huge bombshell on Abby. They don’t know that Harper is a lesbian and lives with her girlfriend — so Abby is going to be Harper’s straight roommate. And she desperately wants to come out to her family, but it might interfere with her father’s campaign for mayor.
Arriving at the Caldwell’s family home, Abby meets Harper’s mother (Steenburgen), a woman who is all about appearances and making sure her husband’s campaign is perfect, and Harper’s father (Garber). They welcome Abby as Harper’s “orphan friend” and set her up in a bedroom in the basement away from Harper.
Harper also has two sisters, Sloane (Brie) and Jane (Holland). Sloane is stuck-up, married with two kids and runs a gift giving business with her husband, after leaving her law degree behind, and Jane is a vibrant, hilarious woman working on her first novel. All three sisters have very different personalities, and there is even a huge rivalry between Sloane and Harper.
If this experience for Abby couldn’t get any more awkward, her mother invites one of Harper’s ex-boyfriends to dinner (Connor, played by Jake McDorman). They would love to see Harper and Connor get back together because they think the two of them would be the perfect couple. At that same dinner, Harper and Abby run into Riley (Plaza), Harper’s ex-girlfriend. This all sends Abby down a road of questions and thoughts — and makes her question: who is the real Harper?
As the holiday goes on, Abby’s experience doesn’t get any better. There’s a moment of mistaken shoplifting, Harper pushing Abby to the side so she doesn’t ruin her father’s campaign and realization from Riley that makes her worry about her future with Abby. So, she calls in her friend John (Levy) to come rescue her because she doesn’t know how much longer she can be trapped inside this terrible Christmas. It all leads to a truly heartbreaking, but also beautiful ending.
What I loved most about “Happiest Season” is the fact that it’s a LGBTQ+ film that I, as a gay man, can relate to. Kristen Stewart and Mackenzie Davis are fabulous together, showing great chemistry. Mary Steenburgen is wonderful as always, as is Victor Garber. I fell in love with the hilarious Mary Holland, laughed at Dan Levy (reminding me so much of David from “Schitt’s Creek”) and loved Aubrey Plaza’s performance (wanting more scenes with her).
Kudos to Clea DuVall for crafting such a wonderful, funny, heart-warming, tragic, LGBTQ+, Christmas movie. This is the holiday film that I have been waiting for. Watch it on Hulu this holiday season and fall in love with it! Rated PG-13.
Grade = 5/5.
