The Review: Four Christmases

Four Christmases 7/10

It is time for us to begin watching Christmas movies. This one was funnier than I expected it to be. This couple Brad and Kate are not married and happy as hell about it. They cosplay at bars and have the sex and plan on going to Fiji to avoid spending time with their divorced parents (hence the title of this movie). Their flight ends up canceled after lying to their family that they were busy and the news slaps them on camera all dressed for Fiji and their families start calling them. Now they have to go.

The first trip is to Brad's father's place. Brad ends up attacked by his brothers and their sons. His father is a rough asshole. Kate is forced to watch the sister-in-law's baby while Brad is on the roof trying to install a satellite dish that was not asked for. He falls from the roof causing damage in the house and Kate ends up bonking the baby's head on the door which made me laugh harder than it should've. We also find out that Brad's real name is Orlando. This upsets her.

Next they arrive at Kate's mom's place where all the women are horny for Brad. After Kate gets puked on Brad is shown old photos of Kate. She was an abnormally large baby, sent to fat camp, and was in a lesbian relationship she was not aware of. For fun Kate takes a pregnancy test and her niece steals it and she battles some kids in a bouncy house. Later they go to the church of her mom's new boyfriend and are forced to be in the play. Brad loves it and hams it up while Kate has terrible stage fright. She feels that Brad didn't support her while he pats himself on the back.

Next is Brad's mom's place. She is dating his former best friend and that is just too damn much for me to begin to comprehend. They play the game Taboo and are terrible at it together while Brad's brother and wife were amazing. Kate brings up the negative pregnancy test and how she wasn't all that mad if she was actually pregnant. Brad is like “Fuck all that!” while Kate wants their relationship to progress. Kate tells Brad that she will go to her father's place alone and Brad leaves.

Kate's father has a heart to heart with her regarding cheating on her mother and missing out on all the family and love he could have had. Brad goes back to his father's place and his father is proud he won't have kids and get married. Brad realizes that he is more like his dad that he wants and heads back to Kate and they make up. Neither of them want a kid no matter what though. Months later she just gave birth and neither of them told their family any of it. So of course the news shows up once again because they had a New Year baby.

This was a funny movie. It moved quickly and they showed just enough of each house for me to understand why each of them moved in their relationship the way they did. It also wasn't as gooey-gooey you gotta make up with and love everyone in your family. Brad's brothers stayed lunatics. As someone that doesn't spend time around my family on Christmas I appreciated their efforts to avoid them.

Vince Vaughn as Bradford "Brad" McVie

Reese Witherspoon as Kate Kinkaid

Robert Duvall as Howard McVie

Jon Favreau as Denver McVie

Mary Steenburgen as Marilyn Kinkaid

Dwight Yoakam as Pastor Phil

Tim McGraw as Dallas McVie

Kristin Chenoweth as Courtney Kinkaid

Jon Voight as Creighton Kinkaid

Sissy Spacek as Paula McVie

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