Spring Break
'Four Christmases' more exhausting than merry
2 out of 5 stars
Emily Abbate
Issue date: 12/2/08 Section: Focus
Perhaps more generic than the typical Starbucks gift card in your Christmas stocking, "Four Christmases," is nothing out of the ordinary.
The romantic comedy, set in San Francisco, tells the story of Kate (Reese Witherspoon) and Brad (Vince Vaughn), an unmarried couple whose ideal holiday consists of palm trees and sunshine in Fiji. For the last three years, since their relationship began, the couple has lied to their families about visiting far-away places doing charity work during the holiday times.
However, their flight to Fiji gets cancelled when California fog rolls in a bit too thick, and the couple is forced to visit each of their separated parents. Attempting what is possibly an unimaginable task, the movie proceeds to show Kate and Brad visiting their divorced parents all on Christmas Day, and dealing with plenty of issues along the way.
There is some decent humor to the movie. There are some guaranteed laughs throughout the dysfunctional family visits. At Brad's father's house, his two UFC fighting brothers body-slam and harass their "upper-class" brother relentlessly. At Kate's house, which Witherspoon refers to as a "cougar den," her female relatives, who act as if they haven't seen a decent man in years, prey upon Vaughn.
Although a bit much at times, the movie does convey the stereotypical norm of how difficult spending time with relatives can be during the holidays. The movie compares to "Meet The Parents" in terms of awkward family meetings - but the acting falls short.
Sarcasm may have been overly apparent throughout the flick, but at times the movie became a bit too unbelievable. The relationship between Vaughn and Witherspoon was at times a bit too conceptualized, considering not even the perfect couple could survive a Christmas of this magnitude. If anything, the stereotypes were a bit too overplayed, making the acting a bit cheesy at times.
Overall, the movie accomplishes its inevitable goal of providing an entertaining hour and a twenty-two minutes of Christmas fun. Besides that, it isn't worth much. Witherspoon and Vaughn both learn a lot about themselves in these roles each gaining a better perspective of exactly where they came from, and where the two of them want to head in the future as a couple.
Is it worth seeing? Sure, at matinee pricing. Enjoy this movie on a day with nothing to do over the holiday season with friends. But if you are looking for something with a bit more substance, then "Four Christmases" is not the right holiday ticket.
The romantic comedy, set in San Francisco, tells the story of Kate (Reese Witherspoon) and Brad (Vince Vaughn), an unmarried couple whose ideal holiday consists of palm trees and sunshine in Fiji. For the last three years, since their relationship began, the couple has lied to their families about visiting far-away places doing charity work during the holiday times.
However, their flight to Fiji gets cancelled when California fog rolls in a bit too thick, and the couple is forced to visit each of their separated parents. Attempting what is possibly an unimaginable task, the movie proceeds to show Kate and Brad visiting their divorced parents all on Christmas Day, and dealing with plenty of issues along the way.
There is some decent humor to the movie. There are some guaranteed laughs throughout the dysfunctional family visits. At Brad's father's house, his two UFC fighting brothers body-slam and harass their "upper-class" brother relentlessly. At Kate's house, which Witherspoon refers to as a "cougar den," her female relatives, who act as if they haven't seen a decent man in years, prey upon Vaughn.
Although a bit much at times, the movie does convey the stereotypical norm of how difficult spending time with relatives can be during the holidays. The movie compares to "Meet The Parents" in terms of awkward family meetings - but the acting falls short.
Sarcasm may have been overly apparent throughout the flick, but at times the movie became a bit too unbelievable. The relationship between Vaughn and Witherspoon was at times a bit too conceptualized, considering not even the perfect couple could survive a Christmas of this magnitude. If anything, the stereotypes were a bit too overplayed, making the acting a bit cheesy at times.
Overall, the movie accomplishes its inevitable goal of providing an entertaining hour and a twenty-two minutes of Christmas fun. Besides that, it isn't worth much. Witherspoon and Vaughn both learn a lot about themselves in these roles each gaining a better perspective of exactly where they came from, and where the two of them want to head in the future as a couple.
Is it worth seeing? Sure, at matinee pricing. Enjoy this movie on a day with nothing to do over the holiday season with friends. But if you are looking for something with a bit more substance, then "Four Christmases" is not the right holiday ticket.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
helen
posted 12/09/08 @ 8:17 AM EST
Reese looks great. I read here (www.projectweightloss.com) about her new workout and, wow, it will become a trend in Hollywood for sure.
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