A family with tons of problems that try their best to get along during the holidays
This time of year there are always a ton of new Christmas movies that come out. Most of them are the same and deal with the bright side of the holidays and sadly are rarely that timeless. They all begin the same and by the end everyone learns a lesson and some sappy Christmas song is played which is meant to make viewers feel all warm inside and is meant to awaken the holiday spirit within us all. Honestly these films can get old real fast, but luckily Love the Coopers is not this type of movie. It takes the risk of showing the true sides of the holidays and is a film that is worth seeing.
The film begins with an unknown narrator telling a tale of a Christmas long since past when Sam (John Goodman) and Charlotte (Diane Keaton) got a wonderful present that they still own to this day their lovable dog. They seem the perfect couple but truthfully things could be better for them. They have been together for a long time but they have made a tough decision that they want to hold off on telling everyone until the holiday season is over. Eleanor (Olivia Wilde) is a woman who is not sure what she wants to do with her life yet and has had tons of bad luck when it comes to love. She dreads the holidays for many reasons but a chance meeting this year might make this a holiday to remember.
Hank (Ed Helms) is a man with a big heart who has two kids and a marriage that is flat lining. He lost his job thanks to technology and he has not been able to find any type of work for a long time. He is not looking forward to seeing his parents again because he hasn’t had the heart to tell them what has happened to his life. Bucky (Alan Arkin) is a simple man whose life has little going on except a young woman named Ruby (Amanda Seyfried) who works at a local diner he likes to eat at every day. One day Bucky gets some bad news about her and is unsure how is he going to be able to live once this happens. Add to the mix Emma (Marisa Tomei) the younger sister of Charlotte and someone who resents her sister for so many reason and Aunt Fishy (June Squibb) who is getting older and her memory is not as good as it used to be. Bring all of these people together and it seems like the recipe for disaster. Will they all be able to get along for the holidays? What secrets may come to the surface? Who is the man that Eleanor has brought to dinner? And could the power of the holiday season find a way to work its magic to change all of their lives forever?
This is actually a wonderful movie. It shows the modern side of Christmas. It is not always something people look forward to and it shows a ton of reasons why. There is the stress of finding the perfect gift, the dread of meeting up with some people you only see once a year and the desire to do your best to make everything perfect no matter how impossible this may seem sometimes.
This family is raw and real, there is no sugar and spice here. The Coopers can be any family because people can relate to them. Tons of people can understand what Eleanor and Emma are going through because they have been in a similar position. It is easy to feel less than to your siblings especially when their lives seem perfect. This movie does a great job of showing a family that is full of problems but no matter what they are still a family and they still love each other. The best part is the ending because it is not your typical Hollywood finale. This writer will not spoil it for you but trust me it is just brilliant.
This movie gets 9/10. It is a nice change from the normal formula used so many times over the years. The plot is not a simple line but a journey with many different paths that come together and there is no guarantee things are going to end perfectly. There are times things may seem hopeless but those are the moments you need to pay close attention. This is a film everyone can watch and is a movie you should not miss out on. This movie has the chance to be a holiday classic and there is nothing this writer can say bad about it. There are a few minor adult situations but nothing that is out of line or too risque.
If you want to see a good holiday movie this is the picture to watch. If you are a fan of any of these stars you must see this movie. Many of them bring some of their best performances in years and it comes with some scenes that are sure to warm your heart. Love the Coopers comes out this Friday.
Watch the joyous trailer below: