Four Christmases (2008)
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A couple's canceled tropical vacation forces them to visit four different sets of dysfunctional parents in a single day.
The story
Brad McVie and Kate Kinkaid are a happily unmarried couple living in San Francisco who prefer to avoid their dysfunctional families during the holidays by traveling abroad. However, when heavy fog grounds their planned vacation to Fiji, they are interviewed by a news crew that informs their families of the cancellation. This forces the couple to visit all four of their divorced parents in a single day. The journey leads them through a series of disastrous encounters with relatives, including amateur cage-fighters, flirtatious aunts, and a church pageant, as they navigate their complicated family dynamics and personal desires regarding marriage and children.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Brad McVie and Kate Kinkaid, a couple in San Francisco who avoid family obligations by traveling abroad, find their Fiji vacation canceled due to heavy fog. After a news interview reveals their plans are scrapped, they are forced to visit four divorced parents in one day. At Brad's father Howard's house, Brad is beaten by his brothers Denver and Dallas, and Kate learns Brad's real name is Orlando. They then visit Kate's mother Marilyn, where Brad meets flirtatious relatives and Kate takes a negative pregnancy test during a church pageant where they are forced to play Mary and Joseph. Next, they visit Brad's mother Paula, where a game of Taboo causes a rift in their relationship regarding children. Kate eventually visits her father Creighton alone to seek advice on honesty and family, while Brad reflects on his own fears of loneliness. They eventually reconcile, and on New Year's Day a year later, they welcome their first child, which is announced to their families by a news crew.
- First release year
- 2008
- Runtime (minutes)
- 89
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Seth Gordon
- Writers
- Matt R. Allen · story; Caleb Wilson · story; Matt R. Allen · screenplay; Caleb Wilson · screenplay; Jon Lucas · screenplay; Scott Moore · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Vince Vaughn · Brad McVie; Reese Witherspoon · Kate Kinkaid; Robert Duvall · Howard McVie; Jon Favreau · Denver McVie; Mary Steenburgen · Marilyn Kinkaid; Dwight Yoakam · Pastor Phil; Tim McGraw · Dallas McVie; Kristin Chenoweth · Courtney Kinkaid Cootie; Jon Voight · Creighton Kinkaid; Sissy Spacek · Paula McVie
- Genres
- comedy; drama
- Themes
- dysfunctional families; commitment; honesty; holiday traditions
- Tone and mood
- misanthropic; joyless; slapstick; comedy-drama
- Setting
- San Francisco and various family homes during the Christmas holiday.
- Premise and plot tags
- Christmas; Road Trip; Family Drama; Romantic Comedy
- Reception
- The film received generally negative reviews from critics, described as joyless and hackneyed, but it was a commercial success, grossing $163 million worldwide.
- Production trivia
- Seth Gordon's first studio feature film.; The film began production during the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike.; The film was originally intended to be directed by Adam Shankman for Columbia Pictures.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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