On the podcast this time, Steven and Sean are joined by Sean’s wonderful and long-time friend, Lee! We’re all continuing to bring as much holiday cheer as we possibly can by chatting about the 2020 relationship comedy/drama from Clea DuVall, Happiest Season.
When I say “drama,” I mean drama. This is the sort of holiday family gathering that becomes legendary, the talk of the town, a December to remember! Maybe it would feel like a day that you’d want to forget, but it’s also a family gathering that’s all about catharsis and telling your world who you really are.
Harper, one of three kids in the popular and very visible Caldwell family, invites her girlfriend, Abby Holland, to her family’s lavish home for the holidays. Initially a cause for nervous celebration, the entire mood of the trip becomes tense and fraught with disaster when Abby finds out that Harper has lied about coming out to her parents.
What did I tell you? A powder keg on the very brink of exploding already, right?
Harper is the golden child of her family, much to at least one of her sisters’ chagrin. The pressure of her parents’ expectations and her dad’s campaigning to become mayor of the town makes for an atmosphere that Abby never wanted to be a part of. She just wanted a nice, welcoming vacation away from the pressures of the world.
The unwanted duty of managing her girlfriend’s stress and feeling like even more of an outsider puts real stress on their relationship. Everything comes to a head during the Caldwells’ annual Christmas Eve party. Did I say there would be drama? Because, oh boy, is there ever drama.
But hey, there’s also a great amount of humor and love in this film. It’s got a touching story and is just a delight from beginning to end. Enjoy this one, and happy holidays!
(Recorded on November 11, 2021)
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(This is the podcast that Lee and Sean do together. There’s a lot out there to stream, and they’re trying to stream it all!)
Links to Stuff We Mentioned:
Happiest Season trailer - YouTube
Moonbeam City (TV Series 2015) - IMDb
Independence Day (1996) - IMDb
