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Bookmark this pageFour Christmases (2008)
Director: Seth Gordon
Movie review
From Time Out London
Family plus Christmas equals nightmare. That seems to be the calculation guiding this festive frolic, in which Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon tell their respective folks they’re doing charity work so that they can avoid the usual get-together. Alas, their ruse is uncovered, so they end up visiting all four post-divorce enclaves in one fateful Christmas Day.Playing out a seasonal riff on the same comedy of embarrassment as ‘Meet the Parents’, Vaughn’s mean old coot of a pater Robert Duvall and wrestling-freak sibling Jon Favreau, along with Mary Steenburgen as Witherspoon’s lubricious yet church-happy mom, supply plentiful warning of the dangers of procreation. As we grind through the gears of consecutive drop-ins, however, behind the strained knockabout lurks a none-too-subtle conformist agenda, assuring the unmarried, childless couple that their only chance for genuine happiness is to get with the family programme.
‘Humbug!’, we say. Dismaying, indeed, that a movie purportedly selling itself on refreshing nay-saying scepticism should so cravenly succumb to the same old schmaltz, without the craft even to make the process seem anything other than a series of empty would-be ‘feelgood’ platitudes. Still, there are occasional felicities en route, with some ably delivered ‘trailer moment’ slapstick – watch out for that baby vomit! – and the cast do their best with the uneven material, even if Vaughn in particular makes the patter a tad too effortful. Nostalgic for some to have him and Favreau reunited here, yet seeing the ‘Swingers’ duo desperately mugging away in such mainstream mulch, their catchphrase ‘You’re so money’ takes on an awful new resonance.
Author: Trevor Johnston
Time Out London Issue 1997, November 29 – December 3, 2008
User reviews of this film
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- Victoria said...
- Posted on Jan 02 2009 11:14 Rubbish. There is a lot more better things to do than watch this rubbish film. Don't waste your money.
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- upsydaisy said...
- Posted on Dec 28 2008 12:24 sick blud luvin dis man it is sick blud i bluudy luv it blud xxxxx
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- shilxx said...
- Posted on Dec 25 2008 10:40 nice film.its entertaining and funny as well.its wroth watching it once.both the actors have done a gr8 job!!
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- HarleyQuinn said...
- Posted on Dec 24 2008 12:16 It was alright, at some parts I was laughing, at some parts I was bored. Still, if you go see it with your friends you'll have fun. :)
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- Suzanne said...
- Posted on Dec 23 2008 18:43 Forgot to rate it, had to post again. Now rated, 5 *
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- Suzanne said...
- Posted on Dec 23 2008 18:43 Superb! Totally funny, did not stop laughing from start to finish and neither did my friend who watched it with me. I will definately watch this one again and recommend it. Though only if you have a sense of humour will you enjoy it. Those who moaned on here obviously don't have one.
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- gabriella and georgiaa x said...
- Posted on Dec 23 2008 15:52 Heloo again ceneworld and people who are reading this. just a thing to say... BRAP BRAP nn2 !!! lkin 4ward too deee filmm matee ! <3 xx xxx x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x THANKYOU WHO EVER YOU ARE WHO BUILT CENE WORLD TO THIS WONDERFULL WORLD WE ARE LIVING IN RIGHT NOW.we should appreciate this world and not liter and we have got to love what god has given us ,, thankyou for reading BABEZZZ .x
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- gabriella and gerogiaa x said...
- Posted on Dec 23 2008 15:48 hellooo cineworld,, we are going to see it tonight ,, looking forward to it mann !!! WOOOOOO :)
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- lauren said...
- Posted on Dec 22 2008 19:08 a brilliant film, funny in bits, i definatly watch it again, i don't know what some of them are watching up there ^ !! :) 5 star :)
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- Cheese face said...
- Posted on Dec 22 2008 16:48 rubbish never watch it . oh by the way boris johnson i love you
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- Boris Johnson said...
- Posted on Dec 22 2008 16:46 it was rather spiffing i adored it
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- Jezza said...
- Posted on Dec 22 2008 13:33 This must rank as one of the worst films I have seen. Completely predictably and totally unfunny. Quite shocking given the line up of stars in the cast. It is amazing how this one made it through into distribution.
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- bob said...
- Posted on Dec 21 2008 19:55 i haven't saw it yet but i'm going to see it 2moz
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- Jade said...
- Posted on Dec 21 2008 17:27 It is soooo funi go watch it now!!!!! i gonna watch it again 2moz!!!!!!!! lol
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- Kirstie said...
- Posted on Dec 20 2008 20:14 I would geniunely recommend this film, I thought it was brilliant
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Cast & crew
Director: Seth Gordon
Cast: Vince Vaughn, Reese Witherspoon, Robert Duvall, Jon Favreau, Sissy Spacek, Jon Voight, Mary Steenburgen, Dwight Yoakam, Tim McGraw, Kristin Chenoweth, Colleen Camp full cast
Rated: 12A
Duration: 88 mins
UK Release: Nov 28 2008
US Release: Nov 26 2008
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