Surpresas do Amor

It's hilarious hilarious hilarious hilarious until it's serious, with a great and simple message. I watch it every year. Great cast. Terrific acting.

Happy Holidays!

Greetings again from the darkness. Vince Vaughn is starting to remind me of what Woody Allen went through ... "I liked his funny movies". Just wasn't a fan of "Wedding Crashers" or "The Break-up", but I certainly recognize his comedic talents. Here, his quirks play a little better, though I never really bought off on he and Reece Witherspoon as a couple.

Low expectations, a strong cast, a few clever lines, easily relatable family strain, and a true sight "gag" make this one enjoyable enough. The trailer gives away the set-up of the film as Reece and Vince are forced to visit all four pieces of their disjointed families on Christmas. For some reason, director Seth Gordon ("King of Kong") casts Robert Duvall and Sissy Spacek as VV's parents and Jon Voight and Mary Steenburgen as Reece's. The curiosity stems from the age difference between these actors ... a 15-16 year span. Just struck me as odd. Though not quite as odd as Jon Voight offering parental advice. Now THAT is comedy! Despite the hi-jinx, the messages abound: we all have the weirdest family, it is never easy to really connect with another person, and it's always a good time for cheese whiz. This is really VV's film as Reece has little to offer save for the bounce bounce scene. Mr. Vaughn is truly at his best in the moments of rapid fire dialogue as he helplessly tries to avoid another ridiculous situation.

One warning to parents: the film is rated PG-13 and there is a segment regarding the Santa secret, so be forewarned. The unwritten rule is broken. The quick lines and uncomfortable family moments make this one worth a few giggles. Not a Christmas classic, but a decent comedy.

I must mention the tribute to the classic "A Christmas Story" as the kids peer into the toy store window early on. That scene is followed by the airport scene, where the ticket agent is played by none other than Peter Billingsley, a grown up Ralphie from that movie (and producer of this film).

Four Christmases starring Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn, I suppose I can accept it, just very strange seeing them as a couple on screen together. But anyways, every year we get a Chrismas movie, it's either going to be fun or really bad, sorry to say, but Four Christmases is nothing special, another year with an easy to forget movie. But still while this movie doesn't really stand out and it is incredibly predictable, there are some really fun moments. We at least finally have the split up family vs just one crazy family. Reese really turned on the charm and stole this movie, she was so adorable and she was great in the jump jump scene with the evil kids. Vince had some moments as well, but it's more the supporting cast that was just a fun addition to the story.

When upscale, happily unmarried San Francisco couple Kate and Brad find themselves socked in by fog on Christmas morning, their exotic vacation plans morph into the family-centric holiday they had, until now, gleefully avoided. Out of obligation-and unable to escape-they trudge to not one, not two, but four relative-choked festivities, increasingly mortified to find childhood fears raised, adolescent wounds reopened...and their very future together uncertain. As Brad counts the hours to when he can get away from their parents, step-parents, siblings and an assortment of nieces and nephews, Kate is starting to hear the ticking of a different kind of clock. And by the end of the day, she is beginning to wonder if their crazy families' choices are not so crazy after all.

I would recommend Four Christmases just if you wanna see a cute holiday movie in the theater this year. Vince and Reese had good chemistry and this movie just represents the craziness of having to go to all the families every year for Christmas. There are some really good laughs here and there, I loved the scene where Reese played the Virgin Mary and Vince was Joesph in their church play and Reese just gets stage fright and freezes while Vince just makes a fool of himself on stage. Over all this is a cute movie, there's nothing special about it, but it's worth the look.

6/10

As a Vince Vaughn fan, this film is a must watch during Christmas time. Although the film is as much about the holidays as Die Hard is, the Christmas holiday is the basis for the movie which revolves around the protagonists' seemingly perfect relationship. It is rather nice to see a film where the main characters have a healthy relationship and how a slight snag can be what is necessary to make their relationship even stronger. As a romantic comedy, there are a few corny scenes but there are a few rather hilarious ones to keep the viewer laughing. Jon Favreau is in rare form giving us the best laugh of the movie. A light hearted enjoyable movie, I recommend it to anyone who enjoys romantic comedies and a fun movie to watch with your significant other.

Four Christmases is WAY better than I remembered it being. I think people dismiss this movie because of the puke jokes, the crass "Southern working class" stereotypes, the kids hitting and jumping on adults. I get it. But I'd argue all of that is window dressing - attempts to keep this film as a comedy - rather than the "point" of the movie.

Four Christmases - stay with me here - is a meditation on family, relationships, and Christmas. Unlike so many other films, this one has a more grounded take than I expected: family isn't perfect, Christmas doesn't solve all of the problems, sometimes family members are just bad for you to be around and maybe, it's okay to acknowledge that. But, with all of this in mind, family grounds us; they're people we don't choose to be around, but people we're around because we all need people in our lives who will be with us, no matter how different we are. There's something special about connecting with a person who isn't "exactly" like you and finding something to appreciate.

I really like the ethos of this movie; that this no-it all, protypical liberal couple - Vaughn and Witherspoon - realize that for all their freedom, they don't have the depth of connection their family members do; all their condescension and status flies out the window. Yeah, this movie is deeper than you probably remember.

It's also pretty funny, with some really standout jokes and actors who are generally really great. John Favreau is a scene stealer, playing so far away from type, it's a joy every time he's on screen. Kristin Chenoweth is solid as well, but come on...Sissy Spacek? Robert Duvall? John Voight? Mary Steenburgen? This cast is stacked with legends who do an amazing job and give the film a "ghosts of Christmas" vibe with how different they all are. Oddly enough, I think Vaughn and Witherspoon are fine here; really anyone could've played these characters, and it's the other actors who make this movie for me.

Is this movie predictable? A little silly? A bit low brow? Sure. Is it fun? Yes. Does it have heart? Yes. It's a solid Christmas comedy and I think I'd recommend it to basically anyone looking for some laughs with their cheer.