Now that we have entered November, it is officially the holiday season, and while circumstances globally are very different than normal right now, one thing that's left unchanged is the flow of themed movies finding their way to audiences. One of the most anticipated in 2020 is writer/director Clea DuVall's Happiest Season, which features an all-star cast including Kristen Stewart, Mackenzie Davis, Allison Brie, Daniel Levy, Aubrey Plaza, Victor Garber, and Mary Steenburgen, and while the film is still a few weeks from hitting Hulu, we now have the film's first trailer to share!
Based on an original screenplay by Clea DuVall & Mary Holland, Happiest Season centers on a young woman named Abby (Kristen Stewart) who is preparing to have a very big Christmas celebration. Not only is she set to travel home with her girlfriend, Harper (Mackenzie Davis), and meet Harper's family for the first time, but she is also planning to propose. What unfortunately gums up the works in a major way, however, is the realization that Harper's parents (Victor Garber and Mary Steenburgen) don't know that she is gay.
We've seen many movies over the years use the extreme tension of being around family during the holidays to fantastic effect, and this looks like a wonderful extension of that tradition with its own twist. The film is Clea DuVall's second feature as a writer/director, having previously directed 2016's The Intervention – which likewise had a stellar ensemble involved including Melanie Lynskey, Jason Ritter, Natasha Lyonne, Ben Schwartz, Alia Shawkat, and Cobie Smulders. This film looks like it will have a similar tonal approach, blending comedy and drama, which makes all the sense in the world when you consider DuVall's work in both genres throughout her career.
Speaking of genre, it's nice to see Kristen Stewart tackle a comedy, as she doesn't do it all that often, but certainly has a knack for it. She was a charismatic highlight playing agent Sabina Wilson in Elizabeth Banks' Charlie's Angels late last year, and while her two movies since then have both been more serious affairs – including the biopic Seberg and the thriller Underwater – it's exciting to see her to return to lighter material this fall.
Originally the plan was for Happiest Season to hit theaters in time for the holiday season, and the folks behind the film stayed steadfast in their hopes to release it in late November, and while the big screen option is no longer on the table, it will still be here in time for Thanksgiving. Following a deal made a few weeks ago, the movie will now debut on Hulu, and will be available to all subscribers starting on November 25. Be sure to stay tuned for our review, feature coverage, and more here on CinemaBlend in the coming weeks!
