As a pioneer of mumblecore, director Joe Swanberg lets the filmmaking process simply unfold collaboratively, using no script but rather a vague thematic arc that the actors fill with improvised dialogue and interaction. In Happy Christmas, recently dumped Jenny (Anna Kendrick) takes refuge with her brother Jeff and his wife Kelly (Swanberg and Melanie Lynskey) for the holidays. Jenny is an irresponsible flake, and Jeff is a dedicated family man, so there's conflict from the get-go. And that only builds with Jenny's flighty regard for her two-year-old nephew (Swanberg's scenery-chewing real-life son, Jude) and subsequent hook-up with hunky babysitter/drug dealer Kevin (Mark Webber). The action hinges purely on talk, talk, talk, but the ensemble cast never clicks in ways that seem real or particularly interesting. Family issues are the crux, but this is not a family film—it's also not very Christmas-y (although Lena Dunham brings a bit of humor to the party). Happy Christmas carries such an overall vibe of low expectations and low emotional reward, that this will likely appeal only to devoted mumblecore fans. Optional, at best. (T. Fry)
Happy Christmas
Paramount, 82 min., R, DVD: $19.99 Volume 30, Issue 1
Happy Christmas
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: