Things look set to be perfectly pleasant and civil when Kate (Alicia Silverstone) and Everett (Oliver Hudson) decide to "consciously uncouple" after years of relatively happy marriage. Everett just couldn't get enough time away from his job, and Kate spent many hours considering the career that she left behind. They hope to stay honest with one another though, and to be there together for their growing children (Gabriel, played by Wilder Hudson, and Sienna, played by Emily Hall). There's a surprise in store, however, when Everett has to admit that he's in a new relationship with Tess (Jameela Jamil). And there will be another surprise when Kate eventually gets around to telling everyone that she's aiming to sell the family home and have another stab at getting back on that past career path.
You may not appreciate the filmography of director Steve Carr, but he has a good selection of feature films that make him a less likely choice for this kind of thing. I'm going to assume that he was either offered a decent payday or he liked the screenplay, written by Holly Hester. Or both. It could always be both. Either way, Carr uses a great cast and all of the holiday season standards to make the most of Hester's writing. Things are kept so busy, between the main developments and the many enjoyable supporting characters, that it remains delightful for the entirety of the 91-minute runtime.
Silverstone is the shining star atop the tree here, giving the kind of bright and fun turn that makes you wish she was used more often. Not that she hasn't been doing good work in recent years, but she's more often to be found giving quirky supporting turns in less mainstream fare. She does so well here that it doesn't matter about Hudson being a much less interesting presence, something that becomes even clearer when he is also outshone by the wonderful Jamil, who is consistently hilarious. Another hilarious performer is Pierson Fode, someone I last saw being the standard romantic lead in The Wrong Paris. Fode is fantastic here as Chet, a man of many hats, and I hope to see him maintain this kind of variety in his roles as he moves forward in his career. Both Wilder Hudson (actual son of Oliver) and Emily Hall do fine, but are often witnesses to the unfolding events, as opposed to active participants, while Timothy Innes has the blessing and curse of playing a nerd obsessed with Harry Potter, Geoffrey Owens and Derek McGrath are delightful grandparents, and Melissa Joan Hart is given a role that is big enough to please fans, but small enough to avoid her ruining things.
There's nothing here to surprise you, especially if you're deliberately seeking out a Christmas movie as a seasonal distraction (and, let's face it, everyone who watches this stuff tends to do so for that very reason), and nothing that really marks it out as much better or worse than some of the other options to have appeared this year, but the cast make a huge difference. You get the snow, you get the minor set-pieces, and you get the disappointingly predictable ending (actually super-disappointing when you consider the other directions it could have gone). You also get Fode, Jamil, and Silverstone though, each one being arguably better than the material deserves, and all of them working well with everyone else onscreen.
7/10
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