Hello everyone! Today’s post is about the Hulu original movie “Happiest Season.” Technically it's a Chtristmas movie, but honestly you can watch it any time.
The movie revolves around a lesbian couple- Abby (Kristen Stewart) and Harper (Mackenzie Davis)- that are visiting Harper’s family for Christmas. So this movie is not about how Abby and Harper got together, like most gay movies are, rather its about what happens in a long-term relationship when one person- Harper- has not come out to her family. This is one reason I like this movie so much, because it shows an aspect of gay couples that is not shown very much in shows, movies, and books. A lot of times, we see the love blossom between two people, one or both people come out and then they’re together. So even though we do get to see the fear of coming out in a character, I feel like it does get looked over a bit too. That doesn’t happen here, Harper is terrified and we see it and we see how it affects Abby and their relationship.
The movie’s side characters are also so amazing. I want to specifically bring up Dan Levy’s character-John. He is Abby’s friend and not only is he funny, he also has a role in helping Abby. We get to hear his coming out story and while it's one of the bad ones, I think it’s an important representation of how family and friends can react. It would be absolutely amazing if everybody was accepting of and understanding toward LGBTQ+ people, but unfortunately that’s just not true and while it’s saddening I also believe it’s important to see it so we remember it and try to be better. It's hard to imagine how difficult coming out can be (or not be) because everyone’s experience is different, so kindness always goes a long way.
Another detail, one that I generally ignore, is the director of this movie- Clea DuVall. She is an out gay woman, and I love that someone from the community wrote the script and directed the movie. That’s important too, is that voices from the community are making content about the community. I’m not taking away the importance of the LGBTQ+ representation done by straight actors, I just like that LGBTQ+ representation is no longer just straight actors or directors. To me a LGBTQ+ story told/directed by a person from that community adds another layer of weight to it.
So even though the movie touches on a kind of heavy topic, it's still funny and wholesome. It is also a really good, gay Christmas movie. And it’s recent, it released in 2020.
SAPPINESS SCALE: SAPPY and HAPPY
Thanks for reading! Stay safe!
Ju
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