Few feelings are worse than being inconsequential to someone who means the world to you. It’s a pretty universal experience most of us have felt at one point in our lives, and it’s at the center of Michael Showalter‘s new Prime Video Christmas comedy, Oh. What. Fun. Three-time Oscar nominee Michelle Pfeiffer leads a large ensemble cast in this story about a neglected mother who takes a road trip to California to appear in a daytime TV show after being forgotten by her chaotic family.
We all love a good Christmas movie, and while Oh. What. Fun. is far from terrible; it’s also not going to join the pantheon of holiday classics any time soon. Still, as a vehicle for one of our most underappreciated leading ladies, and as a solid option to pass the time in this upcoming holiday season, this comedy is better than what’s otherwise offered on most streaming services during December.
‘Oh. What. Fun.’ Offers a Classic Take on the Holiday Movie Formula
Oh. What. Fun. stars Michelle Pfeiffer as Claire Clauster, an overworked, overstressed, and underappreciated mother of three and grandmother of two. She’s racing to prepare Christmas dinner for her large family, barely helped by her well-meaning but clueless husband, Nick (Denis Leary). Her eldest, Channing (Felicity Jones), is an uptight writer married to the similarly well-meaning Doug (Jason Schwartzman), and the mother of two children who are far quieter than anyone would believe. Taylor (Chloë Grace Moretz) is the middle child, a serial dater who brings a new woman home for Christmas every year. The youngest is Sammy (Dominic Sessa), an aimless camp counselor going through a break-up.
As the holiday advances, Claire becomes increasingly upset by her children’s apparent indifference, especially after they all ignored her many messages about submitting her for a mom contest held by her favorite daytime TV show, “The Zazzy Tims Show,” hosted by, you guessed it, Zazzy Tims (Eva Longoria). When they all leave for a dance concert that she organized herself and leave her behind, an emotional Claire packs her things and sets out on a road trip to get as far away as possible from her unappreciative family — and closer to her TV dream.
The supporting cast also includes Joan Chen as Jeanne Jang-Wasserman, Claire’s seemingly perfect neighbor from across the street, Havana Rose Liu as Jeanne’s daughter, Lizzie, Maude Apatow as Sammy’s ex, Mae-bell, and Oscar nominee Danielle Brooks as a truck driver with whom Claire must share a motel room during her trip. Showalter directs from a screenplay written by himself and Chandler Baker, based on Baker’s eponymous short story.
‘Oh. What. Fun.’ Is a Great Showcase for Michelle Pfeiffer
If Oh. What. Fun. succeeds in any way, it’s in providing Michelle Pfeiffer with the chance to have fun and let loose. From the opening scene, where Claire approaches a group of screaming children in their car and lectures them about appreciating their hard-working mother before she dies, you can tell Pfeiffer is about to have a good time with the role. She does, even if Claire never exactly loses cool. Don’t get me wrong, she is a bit unhinged even before she leaves her family: she steals candles from Crate & Barrel, lives in a perennial competition with Jeanne, and exists in a subtle state of near-neurosis that hints at the tension simmering within. However, she never exactly loses it in the way the film hints that she will, and that’s a huge missed opportunity.
We, of course, see her increasing dissatisfaction, but her family doesn’t, mainly because they have issues of their own to deal with (if only they were more interesting, but more on that later). Pfeiffer plays Claire earnestly, a Stepford Wife slowly unravelling every time someone neglects to recognize her hard work. And she does work hard: while Channing and Doug prepare for bed, Claire picks up the dirty dishes. While Taylor and her girlfriend drink wine on the porch, Claire takes out the trash. And while Sammy falls asleep watching TV, Claire is wrapping gifts in the basement, wondering why everyone appreciates Santa Claus but no one seems to care about his Mrs. back in the North Pole.
Michelle Pfeiffer is the kind of actress who in the right role — The Fabulous Baker Boys, Batman Returns, Hairspray, mother!, or the criminally misunderstood French Exit — is magnetic like few other stars have ever been. Oh. What. Fun. greatly benefits from her talents, as she takes a screenplay that beats you over the head with its message and turns it into a bittersweet yet charming romp that might be low on the laughs, but it’s never lacking in relatability whenever she’s on the screen. The movie’s best moments are all about Pfeiffer, and she shines both alone and while sharing the screen with others. Her scenes with Jones and a puzzlingly underused Danielle Brooks are the highlights, and one wonders why the entire thing wasn’t just about these three actresses.
‘Oh. What. Fun.’ Fails Its Impressive Ensemble Cast
Perhaps the biggest issue with Oh. What. Fun. is how much it wastes everyone who isn’t Pfeiffer or Jones. Leary gets a fair amount of screen time, but his role is about as flat as a Christmas tablecloth. He does a decent job with the material, but the material is just not there. The same goes for Joan Chen, whose rivalry with Claire should’ve been more central to the story (Chen and her picture-perfect family do have one of the funniest and most random scenes, singing “Silent Night” in a sequence straight out of Glee‘s greatest hits). Then there’s Jason Schwartzman, who is basically just Jason Schwartzman-ing all over the place, and thank god for that.
Still, the film fails Moretz and Sessa the most, two very talented actors who deserve better than what they get here. Sessa does have a couple of very funny moments, including a hilarious and slowed-down rendition of “The Twelve Days of Christmas” that would perfectly fit the trailer for Zack Snyder‘s A Christmas Carol. However, his character has very little development; instead, things just sort of fall into place for him, and we kind of buy it because Sessa is charming enough. Unfortunately, Moretz doesn’t have the same luck. It doesn’t help that Taylor is a truly unlikable character whose story goes nowhere and who often feels like a nuisance rather than a genuine member of this family.
The time spent with these characters feels, it must be said, wasted, especially in a 100-minute film. It’s all the more noticeable because Jones’ story is actually interesting and perfectly ties into Pfeiffer’s overall arc. Mothers and daughters are almost always compelling in cinema, and Oh. What. Fun. has a winning combo with these two actresses. Often, what we don’t like about our parents is exactly what we see of them in ourselves. This universal truth is at the core of Channing’s story, and Jones does a good job portraying it. Once Claire disappears, it’s Channing who steps up and assumes the motherly role in her family. I wish we could’ve explored Channing and Claire’s relationship far more, especially because, as I said, the film shines the brightest when Pfeiffer and Jones are together, as one would expect from a three-time Oscar nominee sharing the screen with a two-time Oscar nominee.
In the directing department, Showalter seems a bit on autopilot. Oh. What. Fun. could’ve used more of the heart and sincerity that the director brought to Spoiler Alert, his holiday movie from three years ago, or even to The Idea of You, the silly rom-com he did last year. Here, he takes more of a business-as-usual approach, a wild choice for what should be a heartwarming story about the importance of appreciating the hard work that goes into preparing for the stressful holiday season. The result is a movie that’s not bad, but it’s also not as good as it could be with all the talent involved and a solid premise.
Oh. What. Fun. promises a cross between Home Alone and Desperate Housewives, Gabrielle Solis included. Instead, it ends up feeling like a classier and more prestigious version of a Hallmark holiday movie. That will be more than enough for many, and you know what? It is worth a watch on a holiday afternoon, where you might be looking for something fun and harmless to pass the time. However, one can’t help but lament what could’ve been. Perhaps Michelle Pfeiffer and Felicity Jones can reunite for a more in-depth exploration of maternal bonds? Someone get Lorene Scafaria on the phone!
Oh. What. Fun. comes to Prime Video on December 3.
