Movie Review - "Oh. What. Fun" is Oh. So. Garbage.

Spoiler Alert: This post is a review about the new release of Amazon Prime's Oh. What. Fun. If you plan to watch it, read this once you have. 

Also, watch the trailer first.

No one works harder than mom's at Christmas. You may have seen reels on TikTok and Instagram sharing that message. I am not here to deny this, because I believe it to be true. The new Christmas movie Oh. What. Fun. was created to share this message. But was anyone ever doubting this? 

We put on Oh. What. Fun. this Friday night, to enjoy our traditional Friday night pizza and wings. The film had been the first advertisement on our Amazon Fire Stick for weeks. Each year, I try to watch at least one new release. I should have just been satisfied with Disney's A Very Jonas Christmas Movie (which is camp AF and exceptionally cheesy, but in all the right ways). With Michelle Pfeiffer at the helm of this ship, you may be hopeful.

The Premise

Oh. What. Fun. is a story about a woman named Claire (Pfeiffer). She is a Texan mother and grandmother who does everything she can to make Christmas great again. Before diving into the plot, there is a commentary on how Christmas movies tend to feature the male leads. Whether they are Santa Claus or a father trying to get home for the holidays, Claire narrates how no one ever focuses on the mom - more on that later.

During this particular Christmas, Claire goes above and beyond for her family with perfectly planned dinners, special gifts, a hospitable home and a surprise to a dance tour on Christmas Eve. Claire is competitive against her rival mother across the street to have the perfect Christmas. But all is lost when Claire's family dismiss her requests to be nominated for the Best Holiday Mom contest on the Zazzy Tims Show. She just wants to be recognized for her efforts by pestering her children to nominate her for this award. And to get a free trip to California. 

The family are in their own worlds, thinking about their own needs and dealing with their own issues. When the requests are not heard and the family continues to ignore everything she does for them, Claire starts to break. The tipping point is when the family leaves her behind when they leave for the dance tour show. Claire runs away and drives to California, despite a series of events that could leave her stranded for Christmas. The family falters without their matriarch and turn against one another

Eventually, Claire caves and reconciles with the family.

The Story's Issues

Oh. What. Fun. aims to depict a story that mothers face time and time again: they are overworked and underappreciated. I think it achieves that. The family Claire leads does not show great appreciation for her hard work. But I think the message would have hit harder if the children were not independent adults. All three kids live on their own. Claire's oldest child, Channing, wants to create her own family experiences at Christmas. That is supposed to happen. Not everything can stay the same forever - sorry, moms. 

Claire's other two children, Taylor and Sammie, are petulant whiners with little self-awareness. It is unclear the age of the children, but none live at home or are attending school. 

I know Claire's mission is to create a magical memory for her family each year - that is what lots of moms do. But the children do not reciprocate. They are accustomed to her kindness and their lack of acknowledgement is due to its overconsumption. They know Claire will be there for them, so they are dependent on her. When they lose her, they still do not appear to appreciate the hard work it takes to care for a family. In part because Channing steps into the matriarch role, as a mother herself. But she tries to copy her mother, which is unachievable. It can be shadowed, but not replicated. That shit comes from the depths of their heart and soul. 

If the kids were high school into university age, maybe the story would have landed differently. They would always be at home, always relying on Claire to clean and cook for them, even get them to school on time. When that disappears, the helplessness and appreciation comes through. I called my parents for lots of advice and inquiries in my earlier days on my own. Hell, I even ask questions now. And I hope when I go to visit them, they know how much I appreciate their hospitality. If my mom asked me to nominate her for a best mom contest, there's no question about it. And I would hound my siblings to do the same. 

Kids ruin everything. I think that's what really shines in this film.

You would be better off watching the Saturday Night Live sketches "Christmas Robe," "Holiday Jewelry" or "December to Remember Car Commercial." 

Poor casting

Michelle Pfeiffer deserved better. This is her first foray into the Christmas world and she was gifted a family of duds. Denis Leary makes for a great hapless partner. Her children (Felicity Jones, Chloë Grace Moretz and Dominic Sessa) could be her kids, sure. But their lack of chemistry does not show any relation between them. Sammie (Sessa) has more in common with Taylor's (Moretz) girlfriend, DJ Sweatpants. Channing's husband, Doug (Jason Schwartzman), just does not fit with this group too. Individually, they can make their characters work. As a group, they might have benefited from some icebreakers at the table read or spending a holiday together. 

The addition of big names like Eva Longoria is a reach. First, I don't think Longoria has the stamina to be a talk show host. Second, I don't believe Longoria would do anything to allow the public to interact with her. She is giving major Ellen Degeneres vibes. I just do not believe Longoria as a talk show host.

How it could have worked

Could this work any other way? Perhaps if the family was younger and Claire did not run away. Rather, take Christmas away from everyone. Remember when your parents would threaten to cancel Christmas or take it away from you? Let's explore that. Maybe it's been done, but I think it could have worked here. We already know it's better to face your problems versus running away. Your problems just follow you, which happens in this film (the family are flown out to California for an on-air reunion on the Zazzy Talks Show. Totally something Longoria would do - she loves the drama). The contest is far-fetched unless a last-minute submission occurs. She just shows up and is welcomed onto the show. Maybe Channing, seeing her mother struggling and feeling down, would send in the application last minute. 

What worked

I do believe there will be moms out there that feel a kinship to what Claire is going through. I believe the parental role behind the holidays is often fueled by the mother. Growing up, my mom, my aunts, my grandmothers were the driving force behind our major holidays. If it was up to the men in my family to plan these occasions, I doubt I would know any of my cousins' first names. Dad can be seen as the hero because he may buy that one gift that will most definitely occur in an emergency room visit or dress as Santa and deliver the ultimate Christmas dream come true. But as we age, it is clear - moms rule at Christmas.

"I will always be a mom" is a phrase my mom utters year after year. And that means she will go overboard year after year, no matter how many times we tell her not to. Will she eventually listen? Most likely not, but I hope I do not act like a petulant child when I can see the lengths she goes to each year. If she wanted me to nominate her for a best mom contest, I would (pending a review of her talent and wardrobe choices for the live taping).

Overall

The film is not great. I wish better for Michelle Pfeiffer. The story falls flat on the jokes, overuses some road trip cliches and ends with a lackluster resolution. Oh. What. Fun. is oh so boring. It will be lost in the Amazon Prime vault soon enough. It will definitely never make a 24-hour movie marathon line-up on TBS.

Watch Disney's One Magic Christmas to really see a mother's struggle. It's our favourite Christmas movie and also underappreciated. 

What do you think? Do you agree, disagree? Will this spark a heated conversation at your Christmas dinner? Comment below.