By: Mariah Thomas
Oh. What Fun. explores the forgotten magic of Christmas that are moms. The opening of the movie brilliantly yet playfully calls out the focus on the men of Christmas both in life and in film. Steve Martin is the hero in Planes, Trains and Automobiles while the mother and wife at home played by Laila Robins gets minimal screen time – despite the fact she held the fort down while his character Neal made his way home. Of course, there are wonderful films that center moms like films A Bad Moms Christmas, A Perfect Holiday and The Family Stone to name a few. It is always a welcomed reminder in film to appreciate the hard work moms put in to make holidays special. Oh. What. Fun. pieces together the beloved tropes of Christmas movies and reflects a story many will find relatable this holiday season.
Oh. What. Fun. follows Claire Clauster (Michelle Pfeiffer) as she prepares for her children and grandchildren to return home for Christmas. She goes above and beyond for her family in ways they fail to notice. She plans a special Christmas Eve outing and is forgotten by her family as they head out for the day. Taking two cars, each group of her family assumes she is in the other car. This paired with her kids forgetting to enter her into a contest meant to give back to moms on her favorite talk show is her final straw. Packing a quick bag, Claire decides to make the drive from Texas to Burbank by herself to still attend the Christmas special of the Zazzy Tims’ (Eva Longoria) show. Once her family realizes she is gone and the reason for it, they all feel different levels of guilt. Her absence is notable in all of their lives in the days she is away. Each of her children experiences their own triumphs and heartbreaks having to deal with their own lives. Channing (Felicity Jones) balances being the eldest daughter as she is a mother herself. Taylor (Chloë Grace Moretz) is the wild middle child who is in for a harsh wakeup call. Sammy (Dominic Sessa) is the youngest and has to learn it is time to finally grow up. This film also stars Maude Apatow, Denis Leary, Danielle Brooks, Jason Schwartzman, Havana Rose Liu, Joan Chen and Rose Abdoo.
As a self-proclaimed Michelle Pfeiffer movie enthusiast, this quickly became a favorite for me. It is a reminder of why she is such a standout as an actress. The character of Claire reflects so many moms I know in my own life. I know others will see their own reflected in this character, too. Pfeiffer brought to life a character that easily feels like your own mother or neighbor and allows the audience to fully resonate with her story. There is a beautiful scene toward the end of the film between Claire and her daughter Channing. Michelle Pfeiffer and Felicity Jones lovingly showcase a conversation filled with nuance and honesty. It is a moment I see many mother and daughter pairings able to connect with and maybe even paves the way for them to have that difficult conversation themselves.
Oh. What. Fun. was directed and co-written by Michael Showalter. So much love and care went into this film from the set design choices to costumes. I really enjoyed the vibrancy of color in a day and age where most films seem so devoid of it. There were also many clever transition shots that contributed to the beauty of this film.
I am always looking to add new Christmas movies into my yearly December marathons, and this was an instant add. Oh. What. Fun. has the same whimsy as many classic Christmas films while standing on its own with a refreshing story. I highly recommend others add this to their own yearly watches.