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In Happy Christmas Anna Kendrick plays Jenny a young twenty something who comes to stay with her brother for the holidays after a break up. The director Joe Swanberg casts himself as her brother Jeff. His wife Kelly (Melanie Lynskey) is reluctant to have Jenny stay with them and their infant son, knowing her "wild" behavior. Her first night there Jenny goes to a party with her friend Carson (Lena Dunham) and gets hammered drunk. So much to where she needs to be picked up and is unable to babysit like she promised the following day. Stepping in for the babysitting we meet Kevin, (Mark Webber) your friendly neighborhood babysitter, musician and small time pot dealer. Jenny and Kevin soon spark up a romance. Jenny then tries to repair her earlier wrongs with her sister in law, Kelly by helping her get back into writing and shaking off the doldrums of being a stay at home mom. Together with her friend Cason, the three girls try to collaborate on a trashy romance novel.

I liked Drinking Buddies, the director Joe Swanberg's previous film. If anything it was fun to see a little behind the scenes of a craft beer business and see Ron Livingston in an indie film. Happy Christmas is a disappointing follow up. The title is incidental, this is not a Christmas movie. Unless you like to watch unfunny, non-irreverent holiday family dysfunction. The film is very low budget, think early 90's independent films. Grainy film stock and a ton of unfunny, what seems like ad-libbed dialog. The director takes to the old indie film look like a hipster listening to vinyl records. Just to be pretentious. I appreciate independent film as much as the next guy, this just doesn't have anything to be enthusiastic about. Lena Dunham tries to add her own bit of irreverence to this movie. But as each disappointingly unfunny new season of HBO's Girls comes out, I am becoming increasingly aware that it was Judd Apatow's influence in season one that gave it good, not Lena. If you are fan crushing on Anna Kendrick or you are looking for a new Christmas classic, don't bother. Anna Kendrick's usual adorable charming spark is dulled to a faint glimmer like that of a tiny Christmas tree light on the saddest of Charlie Brown trees. Even for the minimal effort this film takes to watch on Netflix it isn't worth the time.

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One thing's for sure – anyone who expects "Happy Christmas" to be some kind of indie Christmas movie is going to be sorely disappointed. Joe Swanberg's follow-up to "Drinking Buddies" has the same naturalistic style and relationship focus as that breakout film – both are short and seemingly aimless movies exploring different interpersonal dynamics between characters.

"Happy Christmas" centers around a young husband and wife (Swanberg and Melanie Lynskey) and their 2-year-old (Jude Swanberg) and what happens when the husband's 20-something sister (Anna Kendrick), who's in a much different place in life and coming off a break-up, moves in. The film is very much an experiment in how the younger sister's presence in the home shakes up dynamics and behaviors, especially when she engages in her own irresponsible behavior.

Swanberg's goal is to capture the subsequent interactions with as much authenticity as possible, which means a lot of improvised dialogue. Each conversation in the film probably only had one or two necessary scripted moments. What's beautiful about this approach is that relating to these characters takes no effort, especially those of us who count ourselves as young adults. That naturalism makes Swanberg's films so refreshing, even when it doesn't seem to have a point other than to be natural.

To some extent, the casting really makes a difference. One could argue that without established talents in this movie and "Drinking Buddies" that both films would flounder. To see a big star and talent like Kendrick appearing in a super grounded film playing a character that has none of her stuff together matters; Jenny is not Kendrick's usual type and this role showcases her raw acting ability in a way no other has. Lena Dunham, on the other hand, is right at home playing Jenny's friend Carson, and seems to have only been cast to help facilitate the improvisational style.

Of course the best casting of all is Swanberg's son, who easily gives the best performance by a 2-year-old in a movie ever. Presumably the presence of his dad made it easy for him to just behave naturally with all the other actors, but he accounts for a majority share of the film's entertainment value.

"Happy Christmas" is not a bad movie, but we usually don't watch films just to watch characters have realistic interactions with each other. Swanberg crafts these really touching moments when two characters seemingly at odds with each other find a moment of mutual understanding and appreciation, but the fact of the matter is these moments don't serve any large purpose or narrative, so they fall flat. Tack on the film's anti-climactic ending, both in terms of plot and themes, and it feels like all the good work Swanberg does is for naught. For his films to be special and resonant, he's going to need to give audiences a little more of what they want and expect. It would definitely be possible for him to achieve this without compromising his style and vision. For starters, don't put "Christmas" in the title if Christmas has minimal relevance to your movie.

~Steven C

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Happy Christmas was made with only three film crew members, not including the director, in case you were curious the level of 'indie-ness' in this film.

Joe Swanberg writes, directs and stars in Happy Christmas, the ensemble indie film that touches on the real life minor predicament that occurs during the holiday.

Recently broken up with her boyfriend, Jenny decides to crash at her brother Jeff's and his wife Kelly's house in Chicago while she considers laying roots in the city for a change of pace. She drinks and smokes away her sadness while she desperately tries to distract herself, coping terribly while hanging out with her old friend Carson and new friend Kevin.

Happy Christmas is a film for fans of the typical indie genre film. It utilizes real life cinematography and puts a microscope to the real life problems within the mundanities of life. This is not some film about profound transformation or extraordinary circumstances. In fact, Happy Christmas is so ordinary in its subject matter that 20-something viewers should see themselves or their friends in this film.

If you, as a typical movie viewer, enjoy to put a mirror to real everyday life then you should give this film a shot. If you typically watch films to escape or put yourself into a film beyond your routine existence, then you should stay away, far away.

Happy Christmas is a grainy film to watch, and was probably not shot in 1080p and then upscaled. this yields a mildly pixelated appearance which is nauseating on anything larger than a computer screen. Most of the film appears to be shot using hand-held or a steadicam operator which is extremely distracting as the film sight line moves along the edges of the frame. My guess is the techniques employed for the cinematography of Happy Christmas were deliberate to truly capture the reality in vision.

Though Joe Swanberg is listed as the screenwriter of the film it seems as though most of the dialogue was improv-ed, and poorly. Mark Webber who plays Kevin and Anna Kendrick who plays the self-destructive Jenny are the most natural and believable of the bunch. Otherwise the scenes are stiff and slow with a lot of awkward pauses from the dull and banal conversation topics. The star of the film is baby Jude, real life son of director Joe Swanberg, who is so comfortable and natural that you can't help but be enamored by his energy, alas if only the whole film was like him.

Happy Christmas is a narrative nonevent of a film that will be contemptibly boring to some and realistically introspective to others.

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I only gave it 2 stars instead of NONE because that baby was cute. That is all.

This movie is the most boring movie I have ever seen. How is a baby a better actor than the mess of schlumps in it. You people give white people a bad name. I swear we are not as boring as this movie portrays. Please don't watch this movie. There. My paragraph is a better script for a movie than what I just watched 😂

The low-key plot of Joe Swanberg's latest film is set in motion when a young woman breaks up with her boyfriend, and moves in with her brother, his wife and their toddler son. On Jenny's first night under Jeff and Kelly's roof, she displays her irresponsible tendencies when she goes to a party and gets seriously wasted, requiring her brother to be roused from his sleep to drive her home. Contrite over this bad beginning, Jenny suggests productive ways for Kelly to balance her creative impulses with the duties of motherhood. Unfortunately the dysfunctional behavior also persists, causing friction within the household which leads to more disruptions and minor confrontations.

'Happy Christmas' extends Swanberg's move away from the ultra-basic conventions of the 'mumblecore' school, but it's still a resolutely Indie production. The film's events are depicted with subtle humor as it focuses primarily on Jenny, and her relationship with her sister-in-law. Anna Kendrick portrays the feckless Jenny as charming, vulnerable, selfish and manipulative, while the support cast back her up with nice performances. Kendrick's nuanced character study is echoed by the story's understated resolution.

Camera work is ... did they use a fourth grader? Colors are bad, long moments of nothing (dark black room) for no reason, long shot of woman doing laundry. dialog....they didn't even try, I'm going to look up the name of the screen writer and run from that in the future. I can't imagine who they got to direct, but RUN if you see the name again! I couldn't make it passed fifteen minutes and I only hung in that long because it was clear that the actors were giving it their best shot. What a waste! In a sea of garbage produced by the industry, this wasn't interesting enough to hate.

Kelly (Melanie Lynskey) and Jeff (Joe Swanberg) are happily married with infant son Jude in Chicago. Jeff's younger sister Jenny (Anna Kendrick) moves in with them. She's irresponsible and makes a drunken scene at her friend Carson (Lena Dunham)'s party. Kevin (Mark Webber) is the manny. She convinces Kelly to make some life changes.

Director Joe Swanberg is doing his improvisational thing. Lynskey is great. Jenny is supposed to be the flighty irresponsible sister. I don't think that's Kendrick's natural range. She has made a career out of try-hard uptight girls. I can see her trying to expand her range. I think she is capable. I don't think the character is written completely right. If she's irresponsible, she needs to do more than getting drunk and smoking weed. During her sexual encounters, she reverts back to her uptight persona. She needs to let loose and go crazy with this character. This movie has a simple story without much drama. It needs to go a little crazier to heighten the intensity.

This is a film I would like to forget, a complete waste of time. The only entertainment I found in this came from watching the performance of the little boy, Jude Swanberg, who was very cute and amusing.

Also, while I was trying to keep track of the number of times Lena Dunham was using the word "like", Anna Kendrick started trying to outdo her. I just stopped counting. I was like, is she like making like fun of her like, or like just like unconsciously like copying her like way of like talking?

I saw an old interview with Lena Dunham and she really did talk that way all the time.

I've just checked out a more recent interview, and she seems cured now, thank goodness.

This story is about forgiveness, challenges, and just fun times. It kind of brought me back in time to the good ol' days. It's a good watch when just waking up in the morning.

OK it's mumblecore. You knew that before you hit the pay button. What did you expect? There is no script. It is actors improvising trying to be natural and create real drama out of pure inspiration. It's an interesting idea at least, especially for actors I imagine. You are not going to get bloody Shakespeare are you. But what you do get is a real sense of being present in the lives of the people involved. I feel like I know Joe Swanberg, or the gorgeous wife, or Lena Dunham... but most of all, and praise be to Jesus, it's like I know Anna Kendrick. She gives a superb performance of a very funny dysfunctional character with some very funny scenes and for me it was worth it just to watch her. The baby is hilarious too. It's about as entertaining as watching a real family fight going on if you are just a spectator. But hey, sometimes that is a lot of fun.

Review Date 7/2/2019

I have Reviewed OVER 500 "Christmas Films and Television Specials". Please BEWARE Of films and specials with just one review! For instance When "It's a POSITIVE" chances are that the reviewer was involved with the production. "If its Negative" then they may have a grudge against the film for whatever reason. I am fare about these films. I am on a mission to watch every Christmas Movie ever made. Since 2014 I average 100 a year.

This film a young lady moves into her brothers basement so she can "Get it together". She is party girl but not someone with abuse. Once she arrives at her brothers house she kind of inspires her brother and sister in law in all such a way to live their lives "Happier".

Not a great movie. The fims reminds me of the art films of John John Cassavetes, Jim Jarmush & Henry Jaglom

So bad, no one knows how it ends. Barely made it to 15 minute mark. Don't. Just don't.

It's terrific to see filmmakers evolve in front of your eyes, especially as you see their filmmaking abilities and keen sense of moments expand from movie to movie. In Joe Swanberg's Happy Christmas starring Academy Award nominee Anna Kendrick, Melanie Lynskey, Lena Dunham, as well as himself, he manages to capture the feel of the early 90′s independent cinema culture that felt so mature and darkly magnetic. In this dramatic comedy that tells the story of Jenny (Kendrick), a 20-something who moves in with her brother and sister-in-law in Chicago.

It's interesting how Swanberg manages to capture the moments of life within in the picture. For example, little things like watching a 2- year-old sit in a bathtub or shove a fist full of Cheerios in his mouth feels magically authentic. Even in the way the adults interact with each other feels strangely familiar.

Anna Kendrick continues to test her boundaries as an actress. Whether it's playing the punk-rock DJ in Pitch Perfect, or the manic, irresponsible adult that she exudes here, I'm excited to see her evolve the way she is. In ten years time, she could be one of our most innovative and gifted actresses. Her Jenny feels edgy and risky like driving on the edge of cliff. You know there's a safer place to be but you want to get on the ride with her. There are bits to her performance that is reminiscent of Maggie Gyllenhaal in Sherrybaby, minus the full- out bravura turn that should have scored multiple accolades. This is a nice mark for her resume nonetheless.

Melanie Lynskey, the reliable actress who continues to one of Hollywood's best kept secrets for over twenty years, is completely compelling as Kelly. The truth in which she exists in the film is hypnotizing and I wonder just how much longer we have to wait until she breaks out into every living room and theater across America, and I mean something outside of "Two and a Half Men."

Lena Dunham serves her purpose to the film however, if there's a chink in the armor of some of Swanberg's creations, Carson is likely it. This is by no means a home-run from Swanberg. While the authenticity and honest demeanor in which he portrays his characters are appreciated, they're not always engaging or interesting. There might have been some unrealized ideas or actions that could have brought this film over the finish line. There are plenty of laughs, sensational dialogue, and an intimate look into a very familiar family dynamic. It's moving and artistically relevant in films today.

Happy Christmas opens in limited release July 25 and is distributed by Magnolia Pictures. It is currently available on VOD.

Happy Christmas is not a very festive film. This is an independent film that has a bouncy soundtrack but that seem to be the extent to its peppiness.

Anna Kendrick plays Jenny a good time party girl. After a break up she moves in with her brother Jeff who is a filmmaker living with his wife Kelly, a novelist. They have a 2 year old son.

Jenny's arrival and wild behaviour interferes with Kelly's domestic set up. After a while Jenny and her friend Carson bond with Kelly.

Happy Christmas is not a very simulating people, the characters talk and time just drags. It also looks amateurish as well.

I don't know what to think about this movie. The first impression was that it was a home movie because of the picture quality (16mm), lack of lighting, shaky shooting and strange camera movements.

Anna Kendrick was showing her white teeth all the time when smiling thousand times exactly same manner which was odd. Perhaps she had new teeth and wanted to show them. These overly white and too perfect teeth look funny here in Europe because they don't look natural.

And why an Earth was this called Happy Christmas? I wanted to give only one star of ten just to warn people if they think that this was some kind of Xmas-movie and more over a happy one. Well. The kid was nice and that's why I watched the movie to the end.

I didn't think the reviews would be so polarizing to be honest. There's not a whole lot to the plot, but I found it charming. Melanie Lynskey Is an international treasure, as always. Lena Dunham offers unsolicited advice like no one I've seen before (in the best way). Anna Kendrick is so painfully relatable, as a woman currently in her late 20s. Also the baby was really cute. Like I saw in other reviews - it's neither the best, nor the worst movie you'll ever see... I probably won't watch it a second time (that's true for most movies I watch), but I don't feel like I wasted the last 80 minutes of my life either. If you don't like watching relatable female characters, then maybe skip this one?

I don't think I've seen any of Joe Swanberg's movies before, so I entered 'Happy Christmas' with fresh eyes. I must say, this is much different - and much better - than I expected. The very premise suggests a rather typical faux-indie dramedy like those that proliferated in the early to mid-2000s. That's true to a small extent, but to my pleasure, this film adopts a very low-key, uncomplicated, realist approach that declines any embellishment. Unmistakably and definitely low-budget, that facet is no reflection on quality, but only serves to accentuate how concretely the picture refuses to dress up the simple, unbothered narrative as it presents. Direction, camerawork, production values, soundtrack - every last aspect says "just enough," as in "all it needs to be." Moreover, given Swanberg's apparent proclivity as a filmmaker to emphasize improvisation in his scripts - combined with that straightforward style, the cast is allowed all the more to not just embrace but to fully explore their characters. Every possible nuance, personality quirk, and earnest emotion is drawn forth with fantastic, honest performances that feel wonderfully real and down to earth.

What plot presents certainly echoes the slant that pervades the whole feature, and the sketched, minimal screenplay. 'Happy Christmas' is the loose story of mild family discord, belatedly growing up, and finding oneself in the process - at Christmastime, for a touch of flavor. Everything else - all the details beyond Swanberg's outline - are provided by the cast themselves. And I thoroughly enjoy the contributions of all involved: Swanberg himself is a portrait of harried warmth as Jeff; Melanie Lynskey exemplifies the put-upon "stay at home" mom with Kelly; and Anna Kendrick, as Jenny, very ably realizes the characterization of someone who still needs to mature and get themselves together, however well-meaning they are. With these dynamics established, and a concept of narrative guiding the process, the picture is otherwise allowed to naturally become what it will.

Swanberg's film-making and storytelling approach surely isn't for everyone; I can appreciate how the uninvolved tone of this feature will be off-putting to some. Yet especially compared to more contrived, often bombastic fare that such a story would represent in others' hands, to me 'Happy Christmas' was like a breath of fresh air, a pleasant surprise and a welcome change of pace. The laidback style here makes the movie feel genuine in a way that many holiday-themed titles struggle to achieve. I had different expectations when I began watching from what I ultimately got, and I'm glad for it: though perhaps not wholly absorbing, I think 'Happy Christmas' is an engaging, satisfying film of strong performances and able storytelling that's worth checking out if one is receptive to the tack it takes.

I couldn't finish this "movie." Not having a script, just a general outline, it feels like watching home movies of the less interesting bits of life. Or like a documentary without the benefit of commentary. The director tries to warn you with the opening credits (which feels like the opening to an 80s after school special), I'll give him that much. But I'd rather watch the special. Maybe it got better but by 10 minutes in, I was bored and could barely make it 30 before turning it off. If I could give it a 0, I would.