The “home for the holidays” Christmas rom-com is getting a much needed revamp this year. The first trailer for Clea Duvall’s Happiest Season has dropped, and it’s telling an old story in a brand new way.
Harper (MackenzieDavis) and Abby (Kristen Stewart) are in love — in fact, Abby’s ready to propose. So, when Harper invites her home to meet her family over Christmas for the first time, she’s overjoyed.
“I get to go meet the people who made my favorite person,” she says in the trailer.
But here’s the thing: Harper’s parents (Mary Steenburgen and Victor Garber) don’t know that Abby’s favorite person is gay. As a result, she’s kept their relationship a secret, leading them to believe that Abby is her roommate and an orphan who doesn’t have anywhere else to go.
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Stewart proved she was born to do comedy in 2019's Charlie's Angels remake, and I'm thrilled that she and Davis are flexing those muscles. These two have range, and watching them play off one another is the Christmas miracle I didn't know I needed.
But in between the holiday hijinks, there are real stakes at play: Harper is terrified that if she comes out to her parents, they’ll start to look at her differently, or even reject her. Meanwhile, Abby is hurt that her girlfriend would hide her, and is worried this might mean their feelings aren’t genuine.
In a candid conversation with Stewart for InStyle back in October, DuVall, who wrote the script with Mary Holland (who also co-stars), explained that the script came from a very personal place. “I wanted something that represented an experience I haven't seen, which was something close to my own,” she said.
Stewart, who was once told to hide her sexuality in order to make it in Hollywood, echoed that feeling, adding the movie “deals with very poignant things that, for me, are extremely affecting and triggering.”
“I loved the couple,” she added. “They're both people I really felt protective of in different ways, because I've been on both sides of that dynamic where someone is having a hard time acknowledging who they are and the other person is more self-accepting.” (The actress is now dating screenwriter Dylan Meyer.)
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Emmys triple-threat Dan Levy — who comes just shy of stealing the trailer with his signature snappy delivery — co-stars as Abby’s best friend and confidante alongside Aubrey Plaza, Alison Brie, Ana Gasteyer, Jake McDorman, and Michelle Buteau.
November 25 can’t come soon enough — but you don’t have to wait until then to start getting festive. The Happiest Season soundtrack is already available, and features covers and new music by all-queer artists including Tegan and Sara, Sia, Bebe Rexha, Brandy Clark and Charlie Hanson.
Watch the full trailer for Happiest Season below: