My issues with the wife....(Spoilers)
The movie starts out with the husband moving out of the house. It's vague as to who's choice it was for him to leave or why, although it's later revealed by the daughter that they both were focusing on their careers then her mother with her boss. The husband got jealous and then they both gave up and separated. So I don't think it would be much of a stretch to assume that she (the mother) began to get involved with her boss before he (the husband) moved out.
When the husband leaves, He says to his wife "We don't have to do this". She responds "We weren't doing this, I've been doing it alone". He says he's a cop and he doesn't get to pick his hours. She answers by saying "You're a father Joe, I don't get to pick the hours, you checked out of this a long time ago". As he's leaving, he says "I love you". She says "Sometimes loves not enough". I'm assuming by this scene and what followed that the problem with their marriage was that she didn't think he was around enough for her and the kids and she felt his love wasn't enough when she had the attention and romance of her wealthy boss.
Later, he admits to Mrs. Claus that he wasn't there enough (for his family) but feels it's now too late to do anything about it although he is still trying.
This is were I really start having a problem with the wife. First, she acts condescendingly towards him in front of Mrs. Claus. She's argumentative and demanding. The husband is out of the house but they are not yet divorced. They have two young children; a boy who looks about 6 years old and a girl who's about 13 and the wife is now dating her very wealthy boss.
The wife acts like she's perpetually angry with her husband. For what reason? He didn't seem to want to leave in the first place and told her he loved her. It looks like a lot of time has passed since he moved out, so why is she trying to punish him still? For what reason? There's no hint of him ever cheating or mistreating anyone, nothing about alcohol or substance abuse. He just, in her mind, wasn't around enough for her. He's out of the house and trying to help with the kids. So why is she still treating him so badly? Seems like she's getting everything SHE wants, so why?
She tells Mrs. Claus that her husband abandoned their family for work, but it becomes increasingly obvious that she's doing the same. Her complaint about her husband working so much seems like BS. All this is taking place during Christmas time. She complains to Mrs. Clauses that anything she asked her husband to do for her was just met with discouragement. Well how about how she treated him with his job? I'm not defending the husband here. By his own admission, he's not without blame but she begins to sound a little selfish and self centered herself.
Her relationship with her boss isn't appropriate considering the fact that she's not yet divorced and she has two young children in the house. What kind of example is she setting for them? Also she's dating a guy who is controlling and wants everything his way; not discussing anything with her beforehand. What kind of trade-off is that?
After a dinner party, the boyfriend drives her home and pulling into the driveway, he asks her to spend the night at his place since she has a nanny looking after the kids. She refuses but I got the distinct impression by the way she reacted to his suggestion that they have spent the night together before. She eludes to it by telling him that she doesn't want people to get the impression she got the (new) job because of their relationship. It's even more evident when he suggests that they celebrate the following night when her husband has the kids; she smiles, says yes and they kiss. It just doesn't seem appropriate to me when she's not yet divorced.
She's divorcing her husband because she felt he wasn't around enough for her and now, not yet divorced, she's having an affair with her boss. On top of that, after her divorce becomes final, she's going to move her kids to Florida without discussing it with them or her soon to be ex husband first. Doesn't he have a say when it comes to custody; especially when moving out of state? She tells Mrs. Claus about moving but tells her not to tell the kids or her husband Joe.
The next morning the kids ask her to come along with them to get a christmas tree but she says she can't because she has plans with her boss. The daughter challenges her mother, stating that the mother hates anything to do with their dad. The mother says it's not true and not fair. So far she's given every indication that it is true. The daughter, living in the house with her mother since the separation, seems to have a pretty good grasp of what's going on. Considering whatever the mother does effects the kids, I think it was a fair statement by her.
She had previously admitted that she's divorcing her husband because of the lack of time he spent with them but, at christmas, when going out to buy a christmas tree she refuses so she can be with her boss?
Her husband arrives at the house and appears surprised that she's there saying he didn't expect to see her there. She says that she decided to come home early. This obviously indicated that there have been previous times she didn't come home after a night out with her boss.
She then tells her husband that she's going to be at her boss's house that night so he (the husband) can stay and put up the tree. She considers spending the night with her boss more important than being with her kids while they put up their christmas tree? It seems she has her priorities more screwed up than her husband ever did.
At her boss's house, her boss hands her the completed divorce papers she was waiting for. He later says that it's "their night" but he has to go out but will be back early. She decides not to stay. What were they planning anyway before he said he had to go out and she changed her mind about staying?
At home, her husband finds the completed divorce papers and says he thought they had more time. She only says that her boss went ahead and had them done, that she didn't ask him too. She tells him "we should talk". My question is, time for what? Time to reconcile? Come on! She apparently forced him out of the house, filed for divorce, was dating her boss and is obviously sleeping with him. On top of that, although he isn't aware, she accepted a job in Florida and is going to move there with their kids. Why would he want to reconcile? Just the fact alone, how she treated him and her obvious relationship between her and her boss, why would he want her back? Yes he still loves her, but really? What does she want to talk about? Moving to Florida? Maybe reconcile? If so, why let him leave without telling him she's having second thoughts if that's the case? Yes he was upset, but if whatever she wanted to talk about was important to her, then why let him leave without telling him?
His fault was he worked too much, whereas she's having an affair with her boss and now can't seem to find the time to spend with her kids during christmas, opting to spend time socially with boss/lover. What's more important to her? Isn't she now doing exactly what she accused her husband of doing except for the affair?
Her husband leaves and when calling her kids into the house, she has to see her husband talking to them. Why didn't she attempt to say something then? Instead, she somewhat sternly calls her kids to come inside and closes the door while he's still standing there with Mrs. Claus.
The wife is sitting alone visibly upset when approached by Mrs. Claus. She tells Mrs. Clause that she needs beautiful like a snow globe she use to have. She then says her boss is everything her husband isn't, patient, sophisticated, he can do so much for her kids and sending the daughter abroad. She then says that she and her husband could only dream about that. When Mrs Claus asks her if she loves her husband, she says loves not that simple. When Mrs. Claus tells her that she has her beautiful in her husband she responds by saying that life isn't a snow globe. So, I guess Joe isn't the beautiful she needs.
She's willing to go for a guy she describes, her boss, because he's sophisticated and rich although she still has feelings for her husband? Sounds pretty shallow to me and exactly like a "gold digger".
Next, it's Christmas Eve and rather than spend the evening with her kids, she goes out with her boss to a social event? The kids want her to stay but she says she will be back in time to tuck them in. She's a real piece of work! Just how important is family to her. She makes her husband's prior behavior look awfully inconsequential in comparison.
At the Christmas Eve party with her boss, she finally sees him for what he really is and leaves; turning down his pitiful proposal. She goes back home and her husband gives her the signed divorce papers. She tears them up telling him that she loves him. Once again, here's a movie where the woman acts badly and gets rewarded with a happy ending. Absolutely no repercussion; just a happy ending where the husband rolls rover with joy that she now wants him back. What's to say that he won't have to go through it again sometime later if she finds someone else who she thinks is better than him and she again becomes dissatisfied with his work schedule?
The writers fell way short trying to make us feel good about the wife and ending. Are we are supposed to like it because she decides to stay home with the husband and kids when she sees that he has changed? Or gradually realizes the errors of her way and that she really does love her husband? NO! Instead, we are supposed to feel good because she goes to a party at her boss's home on Christmas Eve where she suddenly gets mad at her boss for not telling her his plans about their relationship and his plan to send her kids away to boarding school; stating that he doesn't want to be a father to them. That's the reason she suddenly tells her husband she loves him and doesn't want a divorce. Only shortly before she was still romantically involved with her boss and kissing him, still planning to divorce her husband (having already served him with her signed papers) and move to Florida taking the kids with her. Even asking her boss's assistant about schools in Florida.
I wish the husband just picked up the divorce papers, taped them together, and told her to file them as he walked out of the house.
My reasoning is simple, she had an affair with her boss, gets mad at him and now she doesn't want a divorce any longer saying she loves her husband? She never even apologized for her affair. Only Shortly before she was still willing to dump him for her boss until she realized what a jerk her boss was. If she did really love him or still had strong feelings for him, thinking they might reconcile, then why did she have the affair with her boss? If I were the husband, I would have told her her that she made her choice when she hooked up with her boss, that I wanted a divorce and had no interest in being a cuckold husband.