Variety's review of 'Happiest Season' - Kristen Stewart Discussion

[–] LLOwens (983) 3 years ago

I’m been a fan of Kristen Stewart’s from day one, but in all those years when the haters — and there were a lot of them — griped that she was too moody and recessive and self-conscious, too cool for school in an I’m-twirling-my-hair-because-I’m-uptight-about-my-superiority way, even though I didn’t agree (I thought she was closer to the young Jane Fonda), there was a part of me that did want to see Stewart show off her lighter, freer, more contented and companionable side, to revel in the life-glow she had as a star.

Judging by the way Gleiberman described Kristen's performance in Underwater, I almost took it to mean he wasn't a fan of Kristen--he did compare Kristen in an unfavorable way to Sigourney Weaver--although he did bash the storyline of this movie much more than he ridiculed her starring role in it. And it's not as if Gleiberman is particularly fond of romantic comedies either, as he panned Last Christmas, my fave rom-com of 2019, along with others in the sub-genre released last year, such as "Noelle" and "What Men Want."

That being said, it's good to see this film is on pace to become the highest rated film she has ever starred in, currently holds a 91% Certified Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

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[–] Ron2011 (907) 3 years ago

LL, that's an amazing rating on RT! And it's good to see her in another comedy role. I think she does well in those and while she's done some she hasn't done that many.

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[–] LLOwens (983) 3 years ago

Agreed Ron, that it's not too often that Kristen will "show off her lighter, freer, more contented and companionable side" in feature films, most notably in Charlie's Angels, Adventureland, American Ultra and Into the Wild. IMO, her most easygoing, comedic roles to date were in the short film Cutlass:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvzrPQjcla4 and in her two guest host appearances on Saturday Night Live.

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[–] Ron2011 (907) 3 years ago

Those indeed were some fun films, drama/comedy and comedy. Cutlass is an excellent little short video! Included in it are a number of actors and actresses that she would be in films with. She also had some great skits on SNL, good to mention those. :)

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[–] LLOwens (983) 3 years ago

That's why I find it humorous that Kristen mentioned in an interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live a couple of nights ago, that she hasn't done any comedies before Happiest Season, just movies with elements of comedy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xig-qHAeVl0

I must say, this was one of her better interviews in recent memory, although I'll have to agree with many of those who left comments on the thread to this video, that Kimmel was lacking in the quality of questions he posed to Kristen. I'm guessing he wanted to be politically correct and socially agreeable by sticking to topics like food, the weather and career choices--although talking about the weather, if one is not careful, can morph into a hot-button, controversial, politically charged topic like climate change. So to play it safe, Kimmel stuck to food and Kristen's career trajectory.

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[–] R_Kane (15828) 3 years ago

I know Owen Gleiberman. He has good taste. He’s not a Stewart fan.

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[–] CKid (3816) 3 years ago

If Owen Gleiberman is not a Kristen Stewart fan, then why did he begin the second paragraph of his Happiest Season review with the words, "I've been a fan of Kristen Stewart from day one ..."?

Perhaps you don't know him as well as you think you do.

As for him having good taste, that is something I will wholeheartedly agree with.

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[–] LLOwens (983) 3 years ago

Firehosing only has the illusion of working when a propagandist spreads untruths in rapid fire succession, kind of like the trolls we witnessed on Kristen's former IMDb board circa The Twilight Saga theatrical release period (i.e., 2008-2012). I'm wondering if Trump took a page out of the Kristen Stewart troll playbook, considering Kristen was in the crosshairs, the primary target of some of the Donald's mean spirited tweets: https://ew.com/news/2017/02/05/donald-trump-kristen-stewart-tweets/

Nowadays, the trolls don't appear to have the same level of persistence--they mostly leave parthian shots here and there in a vain attempt to get under the skin of a Kristen fan, which even the casual observer can easily identify as propaganda or even outright lies. The irony is I actually miss some of these trolls--Jerrell James comes to mind--similar to how I'll surely miss being bombarded by Trump's firehose of falsehood on a daily basis when he leaves office a few months from now.

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[–] Ron2011 (907) 3 years ago

Thanks for that review CK. Looks like it gets quite a good review. I saw Underwater before, I think via cable On Demand, but will also be able to see it again on HBO.

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[–] LLOwens (983) 3 years ago

Here are a couple of recent videos on YouTube promoting the Hulu premiere of Happiest Season:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shvrqIL5NyE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxMrB2Wxohk

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[–] LLOwens (983) 3 years ago

I now wish that we had had the chance to see this film on the big screen, but sadly, such is not the case due to Covid-19.

While I too was looking forward to watching Happiest Season on the silverscreen, it was enjoyable to watch even on my home theater screen, thanks in large part to Kristen, whom the camera really seemed to be head-over-heels in love with, in this film. While one viewing may not be sufficient to convince myself that this will crack my top 5 list of Kristen performances, it ranks way up there with her best.

IMO, the major flaw in this film was the chemistry between Kristen and Mackenzie Davis wasn't quite as believable if one would compare it to the interpersonal relationships Kristen had in previous films with her onscreen love interests, most notably her intimacy with Jesse Eisenberg in Adventureland and American Ultra along with Robert Pattinson in The Twilight Saga flicks. Heck, Kristen displayed more chemistry with Aubrey Plaza and Dan Levy, even though she was not romantically involved with either one of them. And please don't get me wrong, both Kristen and Mackenzie churned out two of the best performances of their careers despite their lack of realistic intimacy towards each other--although I must say they did kiss and embrace each other a lot in this film--makes one wonder if such overt physicality was done to overcompensate for their lack of chemistry. If you were to subtract the hugging and kissing they did in private, it's almost as it Mackenzie never really came out of the closet.

As a case in point to what I mentioned previously about Kristen deftly working the camera, I decided on putting together a music video composed of a plethora of closeup shots of the breathtaking beauty we have come to admire in this rom-com, to the tune of Careless Whisper by George Michael: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zdat_qTszA&t=191s

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[–] CKid (3816) 3 years ago

Very nice music video, LL.

Having not seen the film, I cannot comment one way or the other regarding your feelings towards the chemistry, or apparent lack thereof, between Kristen and Mackenzie. I do wonder however whether what you saw onscreen was somewhat deliberate, i.e., that it mirrored the situation that the characters were faced with where Mackenzie's character is faced with the dilemma of how to tell her parents that she is in fact a lesbian. That could very well put undo strain on the relationship between Kristen's and Mackenzie's characters.

Or, I may have just completely overanalyzed the situation and you may be entirely correct.

Be that as it may, I'm going to add a link to another review of Happiest Season, that I think is worth reading.
https://www.flickeringmyth.com/2020/11/movie-review-happiest-season-2020-2/
Definitely nice to see the film, and the performances therein, earning such high praise.

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[–] LLOwens (983) 3 years ago

Nice review by Flickering Myth, so thanks for posting that review, Carved. Especially enjoyed reading the part where Tom Beasley compares Kristen's character Abby to the Scrooge. And he is absolutely spot-on in describing her comedic style as deadpan. I'm still amazed by how Kristen was able to go toe-to-toe and exhibited good chemistry with Aubrey Plaza, one of the best deadpan actors working in Hollywood today.

And finally, you were right about Dan Levy having the best lines, judging solely by what you saw in the trailer, for even after watching this film in its entirety, twice for that matter, it was clear as day that in hindsight, Levy stole scene after scene with his comic wit and timing. But then again, Kristen doesn't need the greatest lines--or any lines at all to command the screen, which she did again for the umpteenth time in this film. Will someone please give this woman dialog worthy of her acting prowess? I guess I'll have to take it upon myself to give Kristen the best lines she's ever had to work with, in the screenplay I'm trying hard to complete by the end of this year.

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[–] Ron2011 (907) 3 years ago

"Will someone please give this woman dialog worthy of her acting prowess? I guess I'll have to take it upon myself to give Kristen the best lines she's ever had to work with, in the screenplay I'm trying hard to complete by the end of this year."

She's had some such as in The Cake Eaters as a teen, and as an adult actress I agree with you about the dialog/roles.

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[–] LLOwens (983) 3 years ago

As a general rule of thumb, the better the dialogue, the better her acting performance. Case in point: Clouds of Sils Maria, The Cake Eaters, Still Alice, The Runaways, Welcome to the Rileys, Camp X-Ray, Adventureland, and Panic Room. Of course there are exceptions such as Speak and Happiest Season which prove she's not reliant on lots of witty dialogue to churn out a good performance.

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[–] LLOwens (983) 3 years ago

Having not seen the film, I cannot comment one way or the other regarding your feelings towards the chemistry, or apparent lack thereof, between Kristen and Mackenzie. I do wonder however whether what you saw onscreen was somewhat deliberate, i.e., that it mirrored the situation that the characters were faced with where Mackenzie's character is faced with the dilemma of how to tell her parents that she is in fact a lesbian. That could very well put undo strain on the relationship between Kristen's and Mackenzie's characters.

Here's a music video uploaded by a fan which illustrates it better than I could ever describe it with words: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1a4J6tulmrM I'm baffled as to why this video only has a few hundred views compared to other noteworthy Happiest Season fan tributes, which have tens of thousands of views. Notice how this video captures Abby and Harper getting very emotional, yet simultaneously, they're so detached from each other because of Harper's desire to please her parents and siblings above Abby, which tears them further apart. It seems that only during the make out scenes, and finally in act 3, that these characters are drawn closer together and the chemistry between them is readily apparent.

Conflict is what drives any storyline forward, so with two dramatic actresses at the top of their game, ratcheting up conflict, in this case, the external conflict which threatens to tear them apart, the story was always exciting and never boring. Despite lacking the chemistry one would find between two lovers in a conventional rom-com--the bulk of the storyline played more like a star-crossed love affair one would find in dramas such as Romeo and Juliet, West Side Story, Gone With the Wind, Wuthering Heights, Love Story, Once Upon a Time in America, Life is Beautiful, Meet Joe Black, Casablanca, Titanic, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Notebook, Ghost, Pretty Woman, Requiem for a Dream, Moonlight and Brokeback Mountain. Just goes to show how many of the greatest love stories of all time involved star-crossed lovers, harbingers of doom so to speak, who were destined to fail, as this ensured the story was always exciting and never boring. Similar can be said about Happiest Season and this was presented well in this edit.

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[–] Ron2011 (907) 3 years ago

Very nicely done video LL. As I commented on the site and not having seen the movie, it' appears to be a very emotional performance by Abby and Harper (Kristen and Mackenzie) and also by others in the cast in dealing with their feelings and thoughts about the relationship and the overall gay issue.

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[–] LLOwens (983) 3 years ago

The song this fan selected for her video was A Thousand Years, an original song from the Breaking Dawn - Part 1 soundtrack. So perhaps this contributed to my liking of this video, as it elicited fond memories of Kristen starring in previous films about star-crossed lovers, namely The Twilight Saga. And the thing is, in most of Kristen's romantic roles, her character is engaged in a star-crossed love affair, where the relationship is put under tremendous strain, throughout most if not all of the movie: Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, Equals, Seberg, On the Road, The Cake Eaters, In the Land of Women, Into the Wild, Lizzie, JT LeRoy, Fierce People, Cafe Society, American Ultra and The Runaways. I'm pretty sure this was a major reason why Kristen was hand picked to star in Happiest Season.

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[–] Ron2011 (907) 3 years ago

Yeah, I recognized the song from Twilight. It fits in with the theme of the video/movie quite nicely. Hmm, yes, many or most of her movies have had love affairs as a large part or central focus of the story line. Good point!

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[–] LLOwens (983) 3 years ago

Speaking of songs and soundtracks, from all the films she starred in, I would rank the original Twilight (2008) soundtrack #3, as it contains good contemporary songs such as:
Supermassive Black Hole - Muse
Leave Out All the Rest - Linkin Park
15 Step - Radiohead
Bella's Lullaby - Carter Burwell
Decode - Paramore
Flightless Bird, American Mouth - Iron & Wine
Eyes on Fire - Blue Foundation
Go All the Way Into the Twilight - Perry Farrell
Spotlight - Mutemath

Of course the two best soundtracks for films she has starred in, and Carved would probably agree, are:
At #1, Adventureland:
Satellite of Love - Lou Reed
Modern Love - David Bowie
Tops - The Rolling Stones
Don't Dream It's Over - Crowded House
Rock Me Amadeus - Falco
Pale Blue Eyes - The Velvet Underground
Unsatisfied - The Replacements
Just Like Heaven - The Cure
Here I Go Again - Whitesnake
Don't Want To Know If You Are Lonely - Husker Du
Your Love - The Outfield
Hot Blooded - Foreigner
Let the Music Play - Shannon
Point of No Return - Expose
Don't Change - INXS
Dance Hall Days - Wang Chung
In My House - Mary Jane Girls
I Want Action - Poison
Obsession - Animotion
Breaking the Law - Judas Priest

And #2, The Runaways
I Love Rock N' Roll - Joan Jett and The Blackhearts
Crimson and Clover - Joan Jett and The Blackhearts
Bad Reputation - Joan Jett and The Blackhearts
Rebel Rebel - David Bowie
I Love Playing With Fire (Cover) - Kristen Stewart
Cherry Bomb (Cover) Dakota Fanning & Kristen Stewart
Lady Grinning Soul - David Bowie
Fever - Peggy Lee
Vincent (Starry, Starry Night) - Don McLean
Roxy Roller - Nick Gilder
Hollywood - The Runaways
It's a Man's Man's Man's World - The MC5
I Wanna Be Your Dog - The Stooges
Fujiyama Mama - Wanda Jackson

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[–] CKid (3816) 3 years ago

With the notable exception of Falco's Rock Me Amadeus, I like the soundtracks to Adventureland and The Runaways a lot. But if truth be told, I believe my favorite soundtrack in a Kristen Stewart film is the one in The Cake Eaters.
I think Mary Stuart Masterson did a masterful job in selecting ...
The Frames - Lay Me Down
The Weepies - Take It From Me
The Rosewood Thieves - Diamond Ring
The Dep-Kings - Make It Good To Me
Nada Surf - Concrete Bed
The Rosewood Thieves - Cold In the Country
Wailin' Jennys - Begin
Duncan Sheik - I Wouldn't Mind
Lauren Pritchard - As Shadows Do (music by Duncan Sheik; lyrics by Steven Sater)

I particularly love As Shadows Do, as that song has been included on many of my Kristen music cds.
Plus, it was written and recorded expressly for this film.
And yes, all these years later, I'm still burning those cds. I just haven't been posting the tracklists here.
So now, I think I'll close this post with that song ... https://youtu.be/Im1jJd3_VaU

Oh yeah, please don't overlook the soundtrack in In the Land of Women, as that one's pretty good as well.
Of course, I might be biased, as that's the only Kristen film with a Springsteen song in it.

P.S. Do you like how I combined Masterson and masterful? ;-)

P.P.S. Since this is a thread for Happiest Season, I would be remiss if I did not ask, how was the soundtrack in that film? I just checked the film's IMDb page, and I note that no songs are listed there.
So LL, since you've seen the film, I guess that my question is directed to you.

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[–] LLOwens (983) 3 years ago

I like all the songs you mentioned, especially Begin from the Wailin' Jenny's, so I would consider this to be a pretty good soundtrack too, Carved.

As far as the soundtrack for Happiest Season, it's most filled with Christmas songs, both traditional and cover versions, of which the latter aren't very noteworthy, IMO.

One would think that a studio romantic comedy would have a soundtrack worthy of praise, like the one from another rather recent rom-com, Last Christmas (2019), which played like a George Michael greatest hits collection, with the exception of his best song Careless Whisper.

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