If you decide to watch Oh. What. Fun.–AMAZON Prime Video’s new Christmas movie–do yourself a favor and just watch the last 20 minutes.
Michelle Pfeiffer plays Christmas-obsessed mother, Claire Clauster, who feels–deservedly so–taken for granted by her detached husband (Denis Leary), and her three self-absorbed children: novel writer Channing (Felicity Jones), Taylor (Chloë Grace Moretz) who shows up with a new girl friend every Christmas, and Sammy (Dominic Sessa) whose “job” is yearly three-month stint as a Summer Camp Counselor–in essence, a dud.
While Claire does all the Christmas preparations, her family does nothing to help her. They argue and fight instead. When the family unintentionally abandons Claire–think Home Alone–Claire sets out on her own journey which through some quirks of Fate, makes her an national icon.
Skip the tedious family in-fighting and predictable Christmas nonsense–which is NOT a lot of fun–and go right to the heart of this insipid movie: the last 20 minutes. Or skip the whole movie. GRADE: D (for dumb)
I am allergic to most holiday movies, especially those made for TV and the streaming services. My skin turns green, I break out in pustules, and my hair starts falling out in clumps. I would even prefer a deranged Santa Claus going through a girl’s dormitory with a chainsaw during a violent winter storm on a dark, dark night — and I don’t care for those, either.
Jerry, Diane loves HALLMARK movies–especially the Christmas ones. I find most of them silly, but I’ll watch one or two each season. Your allergy to Holiday Movies is completely understandable.
We saw the trailer a few days ago. God, it looks awful!
Deb, another talented cast wasted by an insipid screenplay… I’m no director, but I bet I could make a fun film with Felicity Jones and Michelle Pfeiffer in it.
Indeed. I hope they did it as a quick payday rather than to help fill a too-empty work calendar.
Todd, AMAZON Prime Video chases the tastes of the Market.
Oh, I meant Pfeiffer and Co. We All Know Where Amazon’s artificial heart might be.
I’m in the “skip the whole movie” demographic.
Even Jackie hasn’t lost patience with these dumb Christmas movies.
Jeff, there’s a huge market for seasonal TV movies–especially Christmas. Diane has at least a dozen HALLMARK Christmas movies DVRed while she’s on her cruise. AMAZON Prime Video is getting into the act with OH. WHAT. FUN. which isn’t fun at all.
Thanks George, for watching it so we don’t have to. I suppose the Hallmark holiday romances at least serve as a pressure-relief valve for viewers who feel like they’re in a never-ending, another-gut-punch-a-day nightmare with 24/7 Trump news coverage.
Fred, you’re spot on! People seek relieve from the relentless Bad News flowing from Washington, D.C. and Wall Street. Prices continue to climb, unemployment is growing, food lines increase in size. A little HALLMARK Happy Ending movie is just what some people are looking for.
For me, the political comedy series are my pressure valve.
Todd, the problem with political comedy is that it ages fast. Comedy shows from 2024 are painful to watch.
I don’t find the likes of HAVE I GOT NEWS FOR YOU from previous decades painful, but if you mean the kind of milquetoast “parody/satire” such as SPIN CITY, that is definitely not what I’m referring to.
Our Christmas movie traditions are “A Christmas Story”, “Blackadder’s Christmas Carol”, and “Bernard & the Genie” (a really sweet & funny English tv movie from the early 1990s with Alan Cumming & Lenny Henry—highly recommended if you can find it). John & the girls also like to watch “Elf”—but I find a little of Will Farrell goes a long, long way.
Deb, I’m with you on Will Ferrell. When the kids get home for Christmas, they want to watch the BRITISH HOLIDAY BAKE-OFF COMPETITION on Netflix.
Of course there’s no way in Hell I’d watch a piece of cheese like this! No need to warn me off it!
Bob, the streaming services and networks are pushing “pieces of cheese” like this until New Year’s Eve!