Making the Yuletide Gay? Hits and Misses of “Happiest Season”
By: Hope Morris
Tags: Queer Media, Lesbian, LGBTQ, Happiest Season, Film Reviews

*SPOILERS AHEAD*

If you’re anything like me, Christmas movies are the highlight of the holiday season. I have all my favorites that I rewatch like “Elf,” “Home Alone,” and “It’s a Wonderful Life,” but I also enjoy dabbling in the newest holiday flicks each year. As a queer woman with obviously a major crush on Kristen Stewart, I was so excited to watch the highly anticipated film, “Happiest Season” which centers on a lesbian couple, Harper and Abby, played respectively by Mackenzie Davis and Kristen Stewart.

The premise to the movie is simple. Harper loves Christmas, and Abby hates it. To convince Abby to join in on the Christmas cheer, Harper invites Abby to spend the holidays at her home with her conservative and competitive family whose political ambitions and obsession with reputation takes precedence over familial affection. Harper is the “golden child,” while her sisters, Sloane and Jane, are relegated to the role of grandchild-birthing and internet-fixing. The pressure of being the favorite child has kept Harper from coming out to her family, a fact she fails to mention to Abby until they are already half way to the family’s home. Abby, who had planned to propose over the holiday, is thrown back into the closet as well when Harper requests that she not only pretend to be Harper’s roommate instead of girlfriend — but that she pretend that she is Harper’s STRAIGHT roommate in front of the family. As the chaos of forced family festivities while hiding their love ensues, Harper and Abby are torn apart, until Harper finally gathers the courage to tell her family the truth. A happy ending of acceptance and second chances rounds out a pleasant Christmas romantic comedy.

As a queer person, pleasant is not how I would describe my experience watching this movie, however. While many parts of the movie were cute and comedic, I was left frustrated with the “perfect” ending and the levity given to some pretty serious issues of the plot.

Most of these issues concern Harper’s treatment of other queer people in the story. Her treatment of Abby, in my opinion, casts her as the villain in the movie. She not only manipulates her into hiding her sexuality, but she continuously neglects their relationship in order to appease her family’s demands. While we could consider Harper a victim of her circumstances, she is also seen flirting with her ex-boyfriend and ditching Abby, as well as refusing to defend Abby from the family’s criticism, after she is accused of stealing a necklace. Harper promises Abby that she loves her and will tell her family about them after the holidays, but when faced with the confession outright at her family’s holiday party, she denies it and refuses to acknowledge Abby as more than her roommate.

This scene is heartbreaking and would be completely unredeemable if not for the fabulous Dan Levy, playing Abby’s best friend, John. He comes to Abby’s rescue at the party and reminds her how much fear and anticipation can hinge on the single moment of coming out and allows the audience to see Harper’s perspective. The scene is a tear-jerker, and without its inclusion, I would be personally offended by the ending which, in true romantic comedy fashion, concludes with Harper and Abby getting back together and celebrating happily with Harper’s surprisingly quickly supportive family.

Some viewers may not see with the issue with this Harper’s behavior considering her circumstances, but let’s explore one other character to analyze the problem here. Stunning Aubrey Plaza plays Harper’s secret high school girlfriend, Riley, who befriends Abby when Harper abandons her for a party. The chemistry between these Plaza and Stewart is exceptionally more romantic within the first scene than Davis and Stewart portray in the entirety of the film, thus many viewers have taken to the internet to voice their frustration that the two do not end up together. More importantly, however, is a conversation had between Abby and Riley, where it is revealed that Harper’s intense need to hide her queerness has hurt others in the past. Riley explains that Harper outed her as a lesbian in high school in attempts to hide their relationship and make Riley out as an obsessive crush. This moment in the movie breaks all level trust of Harper for me, but is not fully developed in the film. Being publicly outed is an experience that leads to depression and even suicide for many queer teenagers, yet this behavior is essentially glanced over by the movie. Harper has a pattern of abusing the agency of others over their own sexuality as a shield from her family’s disappointment. Harper never fully reaps the consequences of the way she has hurt the queer people in her life, because ultimately she maintains her own agency in coming out (though her sister unsuccessfully attempts to out her at the party) and still ends up with Abby, who forgives her almost immediately.

I have conflicted feelings about this movie as a whole. Coming from a conservative family in the public light myself, I can empathize with the pressure to keep one’s sexuality a secret and the fear of what comes after finally saying those words. It is clear Harper has spent a long time hiding and hurting because of her family, but the movie seems to take this as a free pass to hurt and hide other queer people she loves. The repercussions of her behavior are seen when she almost loses Harper, but ultimately, they are very minimal and Riley’s perhaps even more serious incident is hardly addressed. As a queer person, I see this is a failed romance movie, because it shows an unhealthy relationship and justifies unacceptable behavior with little recompense. Needless to say, if a friend of mine was treated by a partner the way Abby is manipulated and controlled by Harper, I would not be like Dan Levy, excitedly clapping in the background when they reunite.

However, I do see some very strong points of merit in this movie, but these almost exclusively cater towards straight people. The fact that this movie has gotten attention from both straight and queer audiences and a wide range of media sources shows that it has successfully brought queer conversations into the holiday limelight. While representation seems too strong a word, considering its entire lack of inclusion of transgender characters or queer people of color, the film does bring a lesbian couple into the mainstream of holiday movies, which is yet to be as well accomplished by other films. The movie invites straight people to acknowledge the effects that being forced into the closet can have on a person and their relationships. I am hopeful that this movie encourages unsupportive families to see the hardship that they put on their children by upholding oppressive heteronormative ideals. In summary, I think this is a great gay movie for straight people. This is not a great gay movie for queer people.

I am only one perspective and do not speak for the whole of the queer community. I know that the movie has inspired many diverse reactions and opinions. I would love to hear yours in the comments!

Sincerely and Queerly,

Hope