Happy Christmas (film)


Happy Christmas is a 2014 American comedy-drama film written, produced and directed by Joe Swanberg. It stars Swanberg, Anna Kendrick, Melanie Lynskey, Lena Dunham and Mark Webber. Like most of Swanberg's previous features, the film's dialogue was entirely improvised.
The film had its world premiere at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2014.
It was released on June 26, 2014, through video on demand prior to being released in a limited release July 25, 2014 in the United States by Magnolia Pictures.

Plot

Irresponsible 20-something Jenny arrives in Chicago to live with her older brother Jeff, a young filmmaker living a happy existence with his novelist wife Kelly and their two-year-old son. Jenny's arrival shakes up their quiet domesticity as she and Jenny's friend from high school Carson instigate an evolution in Kelly's life and career.

Cast

and Paramount Pictures jointly acquired the international distribution rights prior to the film's premiere screening. The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2014. The film was released on video on demand on June 26, 2014, before being released in a limited release on July 25, 2014.

Reception

The film has been met with positive reviews. On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 76% based on 78 reviews, with an average rating of 6.38/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "Intelligent, well-acted, and satisfyingly low-key, Happy Christmas marks another step in prolific filmmaker Joe Swanberg's creative evolution." On Metacritic, the film has a score of 70 out of 100, based on 28 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews."