Light humor with a few punchlines and jokes left “Four Christmases” with the potential of a comedy.
Overall, the movie set a likable tone, but could have done much better with its wit. Vince Vaughn, who plays Brad, is known for his uncanny twisted jokes, which appeared in the beginning of the movie but did not play up to the full potential throughout. Alongside Vaughn, Reese Witherspoon plays Kate, who is presented as the perfect girlfriend.
There was what felt like open space or plenty of room for more jokes. The two actors’ height difference alone could have called for a great joke. Their on-scene chemistry was pretty straightforward. Though their unexpected pairing for this movie appeared to be mismatching, the actual performance between the two managed to work, especially since the movie was to focus on each of their families and embarrassing pasts.
The couple of three years, who decided not to marry nor meet each others’ families during that time, vacation every year to escape the torturous holidays with their families. This year in particular, their vacation has been canceled due to nasty weather conditions. Upon complaining about their canceled flight, they are approached by a news anchor who is doing a report on how the weather is ruining traveler’s plans for the holidays.
With their faces on the news, they instantly receive calls from their families expecting them to come over for the holidays. Both sets of parents are divorced. Therefore, they have to visit four families, hence four Christmases. This is where the story begins. They visit the families revealing each of their unique embarrassing qualities. During the visits of each family the couple learns things about each other they did not know in the past three years. The movie also depicts how unusual yet important families can be.
The not-so-common tale of Christmas turns into a heartfelt story and places an emphasis on spending the holidays with family. The cheery comedy is worth seeing for a few laughs without over doing the holiday image. Just remember mistletoe.
