Happiest Season

Happiest Season is a 2020 American romantic comedy film directed by Clea DuVall, from a screenplay written by DuVall and Mary Holland. The film stars Kristen Stewart, Mackenzie Davis, Alison Brie, Aubrey Plaza, Dan Levy, Mary Holland, Victor Garber and Mary Steenburgen, and follows a woman who struggles to come out to her conservative parents during Christmas.

Produced by TriStar Pictures, the film was released in the United States on November 25, 2020, by Hulu, and internationally on November 26, by Sony Pictures Releasing and Entertainment One. The film received positive reviews from critics.

Plot
Abby Holland (Kristen Stewart) and Harper Caldwell (Mackenzie Davis) are a lesbian couple living in Pittsburgh and have been dating nearly a year. Abby shares her dislike for Christmas since her parents passed away, so Harper spontaneously invites Abby to celebrate the holidays with her family in her hometown. Abby sees this as the perfect opportunity to introduce herself to Harper's parents and propose to her on Chrismas morning. However, on their way to the Caldwell's house, Harper reveals she lied to Abby about coming out to her parents last summer and they still don't know about her sexuality. Harper's father is running for mayor and Harper believes her sexuality might risk a scandal in her small, conservative hometown, so she states that she can't come out to her family until after Christmas. She asks Abby to pretend to be her straight roommate for the holiday, to which Abby reluctantly agrees.

At the Caldwell's house, Abby meets Harper's mayoral candidate father, Ted (Victor Garber), her perfectionist mother, Tipper (Mary Steenburgen) and her wacky and nerdy sister, Jane (Mary Holland). The family welcomes Abby as Harper's "orphan" friend who has nowhere else to go on Christmas. Abby soon becomes uncomfortable, especially when she meets Harper's ex-boyfriend Connor (Jake McDorman), and Riley Johnson (Aubrey Plaza), the first girl Harper ever dated. During the visit, she begins questioning how much she really knows about her girlfriend when she sees Ted and Tipper's high expectations and Harper's competitive relationship with her older sister, Sloane (Alison Brie).

Ted is trying to impress a possible donor from the city council to contribute to his campaign, which Abby unwillingly jeopardizes when Sloane's children put an unpaid necklace into her bag at the mall. Believing she is a shoplifter, Ted and Tipper think it might be better if they keep Abby away from upcoming social events. From this point, Abby feels even more like an outsider. One night when Harper is out with her old high school classmates, including Connor, Abby goes to the local bar where she meets Riley again. Riley tells her that when she and Harper were freshmen in high school, their relationship ended because Harper told her friends that Riley was gay and would not leave her alone, which makes Abby feel that Harper has not changed at all since then.

At the Caldwells' annual Christmas Eve party, Abby, having tired of her current situation, is relieved when her friend John (Dan Levy) arrives unannounced to pick her up. Harper privately begs Abby to stay and as they are about to kiss, they are caught by Sloane who prepares to expose their relationship to the family. However, it turns out, Sloane has a secret of her own: she and her husband, Eric, are getting a divorce. The sisters get into a public fight, ruining the party. Sloane reveals in front of the guests that Harper is a lesbian which Harper denies immediately. Heartbroken by this, Abby leaves the house. John goes after Abby and reminds her that coming out can be terrifying for gay people, but has nothing to do with Harper's love for her.

After realizing that her fear of rejection caused her to hurt Riley and will cause her to lose Abby, Harper finally tells the truth to her parents, confirming that she is a lesbian. This inspires Sloane to reveal her own secret and even Jane tells her parents how neglected she felt throughout the years. Abby is still unsure about the future of their relationship and wants to go home. Harper goes after her, confessing that she truly loves her and wants to build a life with her. Touched by her words, Abby forgives her and they share a kiss.

Ted apologizes to his daughters for making them feel they always had to be perfect, and tells them he is proud of them, no matter what they choose. Then he gets a phone call from the donor he’s been trying to impress, who will support him only if Harper stays quiet about her personal life. Ted rejects the offer. The Caldwells then take a family picture, with Abby included this time.

One year later, Abby and Harper are now engaged, Jane has become a bestselling author with her fantasy novel, The Shadowdreamers, and Ted has won the mayoral election. On Christmas Eve, the family goes to the cinema to watch It's a Wonderful Life. As the movie starts, Abby and Harper smile at each other lovingly.

Cast

 * Kristen Stewart as Abby, Harper's girlfriend
 * Mackenzie Davis as Harper, Abby's girlfriend
 * Alison Brie as Sloane, Harper's eldest sister
 * Aubrey Plaza as Riley Johnson, Harper's ex-girlfriend
 * Dan Levy as John, Abby's best friend
 * Mary Holland as Jane, Harper's sister
 * Victor Garber as Ted, Harper's father
 * Mary Steenburgen as Tipper, Harper's mother


 * Ana Gasteyer as Harry Levin, a potential campaign donor
 * Jake McDorman as Connor, Harper's ex-boyfriend
 * Burl Moseley as Eric, Sloane's husband
 * Sarayu Blue as Carolyn McCoy
 * Timothy Simons as Mall Security Ed


 * Lauren Lapkus as Mall Security Crystal
 * Carla Gallo as Angry Homeowner Lady
 * Michelle Buteau as Trudy
 * Jinkx Monsoon as Em K. Ultra
 * BenDeLaCreme as Miss L'Teau


 * Jenny Gulley as Ashley, Harper's Friend
 * Caroline Harris as Kelly, Harper’s Friend

Production
In April 2018, TriStar Pictures acquired the worldwide distribution rights to the film Happiest Season, with Clea DuVall set to direct from a script she co-wrote with Mary Holland, and production by Marty Bowen and Isaac Klausner through their Temple Hill Productions, with co-financing from Entertainment One, which will handle UK and Canadian distribution, and with Sony Pictures handling distribution elsewhere through the TriStar label. DuVall said that "in a lot of ways, this movie is autobiographical" and she wrote the film to see her own experiences depicted on-screen.

In November 2018, Kristen Stewart signed on to star in the film, with Mackenzie Davis joining the cast in January 2019. The remaining cast was rounded out in January 2020, with the additions of Mary Steenburgen, Victor Garber, Alison Brie, Aubrey Plaza and Dan Levy.

Principal photography began on January 21, 2020, in Pittsburgh and wrapped on February 28, 2020, shortly before the film industry was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Release
It was released digitally in the United States on November 25, 2020, by Hulu. It was previously scheduled for a theatrical release on November 20, 2020, and later rescheduled to November 25, before it was purchased by Hulu due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The film will still be distributed internationally by Sony Pictures Releasing, under its TriStar Pictures label, and by Entertainment One. The film's original soundtrack was released on November 6, 2020 through Warner Records and features songs by Anne-Marie, Bebe Rexha, Shea Diamond, Sia, Brandy Clark, Carlie Hanson, and Tegan and Sara among others.

Reception
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 83% based on 134 reviews, with an average rating of 6.9/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "A jolly good time with heartfelt performances and more than enough holiday cheer, all you'll want for Christmas is Happiest Season." On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 69 out of 100, based on 29 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

Leah Greenblatt of Entertainment Weekly gave the film a B+ and described it as "a smart, heartfelt comedy whose small flaws are easily blotted out by bigger charms." Reviewing the film for Chicago Tribune, Michael Phillips gave it 3 out of 4 stars, saying that, despite his general distaste for movies revolving around a secret, "It works. It's built. And the people seem real, or at least reality-adjacent."