The annual Christmas Eve celebration is the destination in the new film Love the Coopers. Every year, millions of people set out to gather together during Christmas, usually with an extended family that includes grandma and grandpa alongside aunts and uncles and the like. The Coopers are planning on one of these “perfect” family gatherings.
Charlotte Cooper (Diane Keaton) enjoys this moment with her kids, her sister, her father and her loving husband. Only one thing: This may be the last Christmas together under her roof. Charlotte and her husband Sam (John Goodman) are struggling and may be calling it quits on their marriage. Sam still has feelings for Charlotte, but he is longing for some fun for the two of them — just the two of them. They’ve agreed to not tell any of their family, including their kids, until after one last holiday meal.
The rest of the Cooper family has their own issues. Son Hank (Ed Helms) is going through life as a single dad after splitting from his wife. Daughter Eleanor (Olivia Wilde) is coming home without a boyfriend, unless of course she can convince a good-looking soldier (Jake Lacy) that is stranded at the airport to play the role. Emma (Marisa Tomei) is Charlotte’s ultra-competitive sister who feels she is never quite able to measure up. Oh, and there’s Bucky (Alan Arkin), the patriarch of the family who is looking out for a very special waitress (Amanda Seyfried). Can they all assemble at the table and get along?
The Christmas movie has long been a part of our winter at the cinema. From classics like It’s a Wonderful Life and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation to forgettable fare like Santa Claus Conquers the Martians or Jingle All the Way 2 (yes, they made a sequel), we have a love affair with the variety of films that celebrate the holiday.
Love the Coopers falls into the vast middle ground when it comes to the Christmas movie space. The characters are likable, or unlikable enough, that we will find ourselves enjoying them for two hours, but not seeking out the film for years to come. Smiles and tears are garnered from the dialogue as we walk through another Christmas that features characters we recognize from our own families.
The biggest issue I had with the film, and many like it, is there are simply too many characters to allow substantive screen time for each one. I would have liked to have heard more about Seyfried’s Ruby, among others.
But alas, most Christmas films never get too deep. They give us the opportunity to shed a tear at the unity that family can have. There are tears of both joy and sadness. We get to laugh along with those onscreen and dream of a better future for all. And when the film is over, we get back into the crowded malls and go back to planning or celebrating our own family dinners. For that, Love the Coopers can stand with the pack of Christmas movies and feel confident that they delivered a mildly satisfying meal that will hold us over until the next offering. Merry Christmas, Love the Coopers, and thanks for the adventure.
Love the Coopers is available beginning Feb. 9 on Video On Demand. Check your cable system for availability.
© 2015 CBS Films Credit: Suzanne Tanner
