When Jenny (Anna Kendrick), a hard partying 20-something moves in with Kelly (Melanie Lynskey), a budding novelist, her film director husband (Joe Swanberg) and their two-year-old son after a break up, the family’s idyllic life is shaken. Jenny begins a rocky relationship with their baby sitter-cum-pot dealer (Mark Webber), and she and a friend, Carson (Lena Dunham), bring Kelly to the realization that an evolution in her life, career and relationship is necessary for her happiness. A new comedy from the director of DRINKING BUDDIES. (c) Magnolia Pictures
Though the end of July is an odd time to release a movie about The Holidays, Happy Christmas is about a dysfunctional family / sibling situation that some how manages to work through the challenges on and off the screen. Both the characters deal with family drama around Christmas not to mention that actors pulling off improv can be difficult. Following in the tradition of Drinking Buddies and Your Sister’s Sister, Happy Christmas has a young and hip cast navigating awkward and complicated situations…with some laughs along the way, too.
What I thoroughly enjoyed about Happy Christmas was the situations the actors were in. Melanie Lynskey gave the best and most complicated role as a devoted wife and mother. She became creatively influenced from more notable actors (Anna Kendrick and Lena Dunham) in a key, story defining moment. I don’t want to reveal what happens other than audiences should give a delightful yet edgy movie like Happy Christmas a chance. Focusing on your family, the loved ones, and channeling your passions is what makes people happy.
I rate Happy Christmas a 7 out of 10.
