Four Christmases Movie Blurb by Shale November 27, 2008 Just in time for Thanksgiving Holiday, I catch a head cold. Well, I'm not entirely under the weather and I'm hoping to keep this annoying sore throat in check and be done with it over the next four days but didn't quite feel up to seeing Australia at TWO HOURS AND FORTY FIVE MINUTES. Oh, yeah, I hate sitting thru long movies. Well, at least Four Christmases was mercifully short at one hour and twenty-two minutes. Seemed longer tho. I knew going in that this would not be a great movie but felt like a little levity would help my illness. Actually, the movie was a little annoying at times, watching dysfunctional family situations that I, as an independent adult, would have walked out of. However, not only did I get to see a short movie, I got to play a game. I tried to guess what the average reviewers would give this movie on Rotten Tomatoes and correctly guessed that 75% of them gave a splat. Our main protagonists did alright, there was just something about the movie that grated on me. The story is of an unmarried couple who have put off meeting each others' dysfunctional family for three years. Brad, (Vince Vaughn) is living with Kate (Reese Witherspoon) and they avoid the holiday grief by taking trips to tropical destinations and tell their families that they are doing charitable work there. This year they get fogged in at San Francisco and can't escape to Fiji. To make matters worse they get caught on the news, seen by all their divorced parents. Busted at the Airport So, busted, they have to cram in a visit to each of their four parents on Christmas Day. If you've been to the movies lately and seen the trailers you know about the baby spitting up on Kate and Brad unable to cope. You saw Brad taken down by his bully wrestler brothers while his somewhat paranoid father (Robert Duvall) smiles on. (OK, I was a bit creeped out how much Duvall reminded me of my own dad). Brad's Crazy Brothers We learned that Kate was an obese child with problems and had a fling with a lesbian (not a Greek) girlfriend as a teen. Her mother (Mary Steenburgen) is currently a religious fanatic that exudes sexual craving and Brad's mother (Sissy Spacek) who is sleeping with his former childhood best friend. The only parent with any hint of normalcy and dignity is Kate's father (Jon Voight) who does better with her than he does with his own Angelina. John Voight with his good daughter Kate After enduring all these family secrets that our successful couple never knew of each other, they discover that their happy relationship has been lacking and they start thinking about marriage and kids. Huh??? Anyhow, I sat thru it and it was only 82 minutes. I won't be adding this to my DVD collection.
I loved this movie! I adore Vince Vaughn but not so into Reese but in this she was more likeable than usual. I love when Vince gets to play the, 'I get along so well with everybody because of my wit and charm' part. He suits it so well and looks like he's make any party fun ^-^
