Non ti presento i miei

I initially wrote this one off as another contrived Christmas romance movie, and I was also expecting this to be another contrived LGBT romance as well. But I was surprised at the sensitivity that the film sometimes demonstrated. Certainly, it was a bit cliched, but not harmfully so. A wonderfully fun and heartfelt film, to be sure. It's one that we need in this year.

Watched this with my girlfriend, we were both expecting a feel-good Christmas movie... instead found this to be quite dramatic and more intense than the trailers/advertising suggested. We're both cis gay women and watching Abby being forced to sneak around at Christmas while Harper hides in the closet (for reasons the movie never really explains apart from "general fear of parental response"?) was not really "fun" or "festive" for us. I was actually pretty bummed out and disappointed after the movie ended.

The film seems to be at least partly autobiographical from Clea DuVall (who I enjoyed in But I'm a cheerleader), and as a drama it works well, I just wish the advertising had reflected that. If I knew what I was getting into, I'd give it a solid 7.5/10 - the acting is decent and the story is pretty relatable. Dan Levy is great, I wish he'd had a bit more time on screen (he was the only comedic element!), and Kristen Stewart handles the dramatic elements with ease. I really felt for Abby.

On a happier note, as part of a broader representation of LBGTQ+ community, I'm glad this movie did well - looking forward to more queer stories.

I watched this movie for Dan Levy, and he did not disappoint. He is a national treasure and deserved more screen time. Kristen Stewart wasn't as bad as I thought she would be. Aubrey Plaza was a delight. I love the rest of the cast, but their characters were annoying. Harper was an absolutely horrible girlfriend, and I was actually rooting for Abby and Riley to end up together instead. Overall, not that bad of a movie because I'm just happy to finally see an LGBTQ Christmas rom-com, but this could have been done so much better.

Happiest Season deserves a lot of credit for the grace with which it handles coming out, especially from within a family full of such insufferable jerks. Still, I can't help but feel like the Mackenzie Davis character gets away with a bit too much truly terrible behavior to make the ending satisfying. #TeamAubreyPlaza all day...not since Ducky in "Pretty in Pink"...

I was impressed with this film considering all of the big name actors/actresses in it. The production is strong and beautifully shot. The styling is also great. Kristen Stewart shines in this role. The storyline is heartfelt and entertaining. But also, representation matters & Happiest Season is a movie everyone can relate to, LGBTQ or not.