Some films are films. Different films are cocoa. “A Merry Little Ex-Mas” is the latter. It’s a small city, large household, crimson and inexperienced sweater, select your personal Christmas tree, bake your personal scones, craft your personal ornaments, 18 marshmallows in your piping sizzling cup of cocoa. With a sweet cane in it.
Alicia Silverstone stars as Kate, a lady who moved to the small city of — spins the wheel of random holiday-themed city names — “Winterlight.” (Ooh, that’s an unbearable one, I find it irresistible.) Anyway, Kate was going to be an architect, however her husband Everett (Oliver Hudson) wished to maneuver again to Winterlight to work as a health care provider, so she put her plans on maintain. 1 / 4 century and two youngsters later, she now works because the native handyperson, fixing everybody’s homes and inspiring them to put in photo voltaic panels and do their very own composting. Additionally, Kate and Everett are about to get divorced.
They grew aside however they don’t dislike one another. That’s in all probability why everybody in Winterlight makes enjoyable of them for splitting up, and makes much more enjoyable of them after they name it “acutely aware uncoupling.” On this world you both keep married or separate miserably. That’s household values for ya!
Kate desires another conventional Christmas earlier than her youngest baby goes to varsity, and earlier than Kate strikes again to Boston. However her plans get derailed when she finds out Everett’s already relationship a lady named Tess (Jameela Jamil), who’s youthful and extra profitable and makes him wish to be a greater accomplice and father than he’s been in years. So Kate accepts the advances of a good-looking younger hunk named Chet (Pierson Fode), who’s lovely and horny and an important listener, simply to make him jealous. Then once more, possibly Kate and Chet may be good collectively, in a kooky type of approach.
There’s one thing refreshing and reassuring about romantic comedies the place no one’s accomplice, even those they’re destined to interrupt up with, are dangerous individuals. They’re not even horrible matches. It seems lots of people are fairly pretty in case you give them an opportunity. There’s a candy scene the place Tess, having a vacation dinner along with her new boyfriend and his ex-wife and their two youngsters, says she feels just like the protagonist of a vacation rom-com herself. You understand, those the place a giant metropolis gal meets a beautiful small city physician and strikes to Christmasville, USA. No person is the villain on this story. They’re all protagonists searching for their very own story. They’re simply good.
None of them, nevertheless, are nicer than Alicia Silverstone, who takes this little current of a film and offers it an excellent residence and makes it really feel beloved. Silverstone has been one of the endearing on-screen performers for a very long time and she or he’s lengthy overdue for a profession renaissance. I doubt “A Merry Little Ex-Mas” goes to vary her stars, nevertheless it’s proof constructive she’s nonetheless obtained star energy. The script by Holly Hester (“The Royal Therapy”) is heat and personable, however in lesser arms it may additionally fall as flat as a flat… Christmasy… factor. What’s flat at Christmastime? An ornamental placemat? Let’s go along with an ornamental placemat.
“A Merry Little Ex-Mas” doesn’t coast on Silverstone’s approachable, trustworthy charms. It’s not like no one else is doing their job. Jamil is aware of find out how to play the opposite lady who’s additionally a very respectable lady. Hudson is fairly good as a man who discovered find out how to be an attentive accomplice solely after dropping his spouse, and applies these classes immediately in a relationship with another person. So we share Kate’s annoyance that he may have been attempting tougher this complete time. However hey, not less than he’s attempting now.
Their daughter additionally has a brand new British boyfriend, Nigel (Timothy Innes), who’d be a lovable weirdo if he wasn’t additionally obsessive about “Harry Potter” and nonetheless quoting these books, now, after each horrible factor J.Okay. Rowling has accomplished to harm trans individuals. You’d assume Everett’s two dads might need one thing to say about that, however I assume it’s the vacations. Numerous individuals put up with a relative’s bigoted bullcrap simply to get by way of it. At the very least Nigel’s obsession doesn’t crop-dust the entire film. He retains his farts to his personal scenes.
Look, I’ve a mushy spot for sappy vacation rom-coms. I like ‘em so thick you can get your arms caught on their maple tree trunks. It’s straightforward to look down on this complete subgenre and it’s additionally straightforward to be a giant ol’ jerk, so let’s not try this both. Some Christmas rom-coms argue that staying in a small city without end is a present, and a few by chance make it seem like a curse, however another person as soon as mentioned — I feel it was Carlos Santana — that the key to happiness is to need what you have already got.
In the course of winter, when the nights are lengthy and chilly, and the economic system is a complete wreck, and don’t even get me began on the remainder of it, appreciating what you may have isn’t the worst factor on the planet. Even when it does look like small comfort, however I digress. The purpose is, the vacations is usually a bummer, so if tacky, low-ambition snugglefests like “A Merry Little Ex-Mas” make you’re feeling higher, extra energy to you.
Except you’re nonetheless quoting “Harry Potter” … Nigel.
