The holiday season is getting a little more queer with Happiest Season, the latest from co-writer/director Clea DuVall.
Abby was stoked about the holidays. She was going to spend it with her girlfriend’s family, meeting everyone for the first time and taking that big step in the relationship. Then she was told that her girlfriend isn’t actually out to her family and that she’s expected to masquerade as an orphaned roommate/friend (or something like that). Instead of moving things forward, it feels like the couple is taking a step back, and the trip becomes an impasse where something has to fundamentally change.
Yeah, it’s a pretty standard romantic comedy but with queer people at the center, which seems to be the kind of film DuVall is interested in making. Her previous movie, The Intervention, was the same sort of easily digestible fun. The thing is that queer people always wanted to be included in these but, until now, weren’t really allowed. DuVall, it seems, is intent on giving us what we want.
And in terms of fan service, casting Kristen Stewart and Mackenzie Davis as the main couple is catering to queer women nearly as much as DuVall’s casting of herself and Natasha Lyonne was in The Intervention (go watch But I’m a Cheerleader if you’re confused). The rest of the cast is basically a who’s who of actors people love, including Dan Levy, Alison Brie, Mary Steenburgen, and Victor Garber.
Look, this just wants to be a fun, sweet holiday movie. If that’s not your thing, then please just keep it to yourself and let people have this.
Happiest Season is directed by Clea DuVall and stars Kristen Stewart, Mackenzie Davis, and Dan Levy. It will be released in the US on Hulu on November 25th, 2020. For further release dates, click here.
Will you kick back with this one? Let us know in the comments!
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