Four Christmases

I don't like telling people that their opinion is wrong, except for the fact that's exactly what I like doing.

So it's with great pleasure I take a look at neil-476's imdb review of Four Christmases entitled:

Funny, truthful movie

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Thanks for the heads up there neil-476 I was all worried I'd find out the twist ending... that... they are both dead and Reese Witherspoon is really a man and THERE IS NO TWIST ENDING WHAT EXACTLY DO YOU THINK YOU ARE GOING TO SPOIL?!?

Kate (Reese Witherspoon) and Brad (Vince Vaughn) have been together for three years and are still besotted with each other. Neither of them is particularly fond of their families, though (both sets of parents are divorced, so there are four families to contend with), which is why Kate and Brad make it a point to go on exotic vacations at Christmas, while telling their families white lies about doing humanitarian work. However, when fog grounds all Christmas flights and a TV news crew injudiciously broadcasts Kate and Brad, their cellphones immediately go off, leading to unwanted trips to all four households. And, as the trips proceed one by one, we learn why Kate and Brad avoid their families. They learn things about themselves and each other, and not all they learn is good news.

... oh I see why you said 'spoiler alert' it was because you were just going to type out the entire freaking plot for us rather than actually review anything. I love how half of the imdb reviews are just third graders talking about what movie they saw last night:

"And then the Jurassic dinosaur is mad. And then it eats the goat. And then they're all 'where's the goat?'. And then the goat lands on the roof of the jeep. And then they scream. And then the dino appears. And then they scream again. And then that guy runs out of the car. And then they're all 'where he's going?'. And then the guy from Independence Day is all 'when you gotta go you gotta go.' And then the kids are alone in the car. And then they're all 'he left us he left us'. And then...."

First of all, this film is funny.

First of all, no it's not. But you know, you keep going with all your points. Which are wrong by the way. I hate to be the one to tell you, but you know, I am. So what are you going to do about it? Pfft. People and they're opinions, always so incorrect.

There are a number of laugh-out-loud moments.

I believe, and I know I'm not you so I don't know exactly what you meant to say, but I'm guessing you probably meant to say 'there are a number of laugh-out-loud moments and that number is zero'.

Again, I'm not an official judge or anything, I just know you're wrong.

And, importantly, much of the humour derives from character and situation.

Rather than jokes, or you know, shit like that.

The small amount of bad language is mild, the vulgarity quotient is low, and the message is a positive one.

You sound like a nurse. "Doctor, the patient has a mild case of bad language." "What's his vulgarity quotient look like?" "It's low." "Hmm, and what'd the test for message come up?" "Positive."

It is maybe a touch over-sentimental but hey! c'mon, it's a Christmas movie!

Oh right, it's about Christmas.

Actually, Christmas is merely the backdrop

Oh so it's not about Christmas?

the film is about something rather more fundamental than simply Christmas

What is it? What is it? Tell me! Tell me!

and there is a great deal of truth in both the script and the performances.

... Oh, you're not going to tell us are you? You're just going to say 'it's about something more fundamental than simply Christmas... AND FIGURE THAT OUT ON YOUR OWN.

The cast is excellent, but special mention must go to Brad's Dad (Robert Duvall, very funny) and his two awful brothers, his Mother's boyfriend (an audible gasp in the theatre), and Kate's Dad (a dignified John Voight, delivering probably the most serious speech in the film).

I'd like to give a shout out to John Voight, phoning it in. Brilliant. I'd like to give a hells yeah to Robert Duvall on cashing another check, and the mother's boyfriend definitely deserves an audible gasp.

Vaughn has this sort of part nailed

You mean playing himself like he has in every single fucking film he ever takes? The guy walks on set and goes 'tell me my line right now, i will repeat it and we will make some money together.'

and it's good to see his stock character no longer displaying the air of mild sleaze which has followed him in earlier films.

His mild sleaze? That might sleaze bought him his first six houses thank you very much.

Still, he has a wide range

LOL!

and it would be good to see him stretched beyond this type of part: sympathetic as it may be, it doesn't really challenge him.

You know, somehow I think that's exactly what Vince loves about these roles.

Witherspoon always impresses, and continues to do so here.

I'll tell you what's impressive - your ability to have an opinion that is different to mine yet that is also so very very wrong.

This comedy has some meat on its bones, is devoid of the witless coarseness which so many comedies seem to be built on these days, and has some heart - I recommend it.

Devoid the witless coarseness? You did watch the same movie with the baby vomitting everywhere as I did right? We are talking about Four Christmases, yeah? I know it was called Four Holidays in this country but that's because we're weird and stupid and are afraid people would be offended by it being called 'Christmases' even though the movie is about people celebrating 'Christmas' and not 'The International Day Of Oh Don't Be Offended Because You're Muslim'.

That movie was horrible. There was nothing wrong with your review Neil, except for the fact that you're wrong.

And by wrong I mean 'you have a different opinion than me.'

Which as we all know, is 'wrong'.