Four Christmases

This is kind of a convoluted movie to review and describe, so I am going to break it down into sections, which the movie supplies to us the viewer.

Section 1: We meet Brad(Vince Vaughn)and Kate(Reese Witherspoon) as they are in their 3rd year of unwedded bliss. They keep the spark alive by role playing in clubs and having quickies in bar bathrooms. They take dance lessons that are usually reserved for engaged couples. They take this opportunity to give us exposition as to their thoughts on marriage being gross and nasty. They cite the wedding vows as slightly misogynistic. They both come from broken homes and do not want to bring people into the world due to it, so no kids either. They get out of Christmas with their families each year by lying. One year all the flights are cancelled, they end up on the news and suddenly they have to do 4 Christmases in one day.

Christmas 1: Brad's dad and brothers are blue collar guys. They are manly men and they give Brad a hard time for being rich and smart because he became a lawyer and got out. Physical comedy ensues with pratfalls and comedic fights. The point of the scene is that Brad hid things from Kate, (his real name) and is meant to point out the differences in class. There is a deeper cultural context here, but the movie is more interested in playing the poor vs. rich for cheap laughs, which is fine I guess.

Christmas 2: Kate's mom's house is "a bit of a cougar den." Kate's sister has a little baby girl and ample cleavage, both of which get much attention in the scenes. This scene offers the best laughs all the way around. It sounds like Vaughn had a hand in writing this scene. Plus, it has some awesome physical comedy from Witherspoon as she is trapped in a bounce house. The point in this scene is that Kate begins to think that she wants a child and begins to wonder if Brad can give her what she wants.

Christmas 3: Brad's mom is sleeping with Brad's former best friend. She is a hippie and bakes pot brownies. Here they play a couples game and Brad and Kate come in last but Brad appear oblivious as to what is happening. Kate is really starting to doubt what they have and is worried that she is wasting her time with Brad.

Christmas 4: By the time Kate and Brad have reached this house, they have broken up. Brad likes things the way they are and Kate wants more. Brad drops her off and leaves. Kate goes inside and sees both of her parents there, which surprises her. She is now believing that she does want a family and that love can work.

We all know where the movie is going and it does not waste time getting there, clocking in at under 90 minutes. There are a lot of predictable laughs, but I found myself charmed for the most part. I like Vaughn and while there are time Reese is struggling to keep up, she does a pretty good job with the broad humor. Be warned that the movie is a bit filthier than I would have imagined given its Christmas season release, but there is some serious language and a pretty nasty scene involving a grandfather. There is nothing ground breaking, but it isn't bad either. It will not be a classic Christmas movie, but they cannot all be classics can they?

Final Grade: C