A Review of ‘Breakup Season’: A rather likeable tale about Christmas to the rescue of troubled love
Ben tries to keep his relationship with Cassie afloat during a tense Christmas trip home.
‘Breakup Season’: A rather likeable tale about Christmas to the rescue of troubled love
ast: Chandler Riggs, Samantha Isler, James Urbaniak, Brook Hogan, Carly Stewart, Jacob Wysocki, Kailey Rhodes, Stormie Camara, Christopher Jennings, Stewart Kirby, Tracey Hugo, Kelley Moody, Ellen Paulson, Sam Schlenker, Hilary Staton, Emily Turley, Kenzie Whaley
Critic’s Rating: 3.5 Stars out of 5
Director: H. Nelson Tracey
Duration: 1 hour, 42 minutes
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Language: English
Release: 2024
What’s it about?
Ben tries to keep his relationship with Cassie afloat during a tense Christmas trip home.
Review:
Christmas has inspired several movies that attempt to capture the spirit of the season, but here is a refreshingly unusual tribute to the festive occasion. Comedy, romance and drama is fairly well interwoven in this tale of romantic and familial relationships and the bittersweet essence that defines them. The saccharine nature of love is offset by true human emotion as we see a handful of people - of different ages and life situations - deal with their interpersonal issues under one festive roof. Will mutual understanding prove to be the required adhesion to prevent bonds from falling apart? Or are some things simply up to fate? That is the intriguing premise of this mostly engaging little holiday film.
Breakup Season opens with young adult lovers Cassie (Samantha Isler) and Ben (Chandler Riggs) headed from Los Angeles to the latter’s folks’ house in small town Oregon. Cassie who comes from a broken home, has her doubts whether Ben’s family will genuinely accept her. What starts out as warmth and bonhomie takes an ugly turn during dinner when the hosting family discovers that Cassie is a vegetarian and that Ben has followed suit. Ben’s older stay-at-home brother Gordon (Jacob Wysocki) makes matters worse when he needles a hapless Cassie about her food habits. Post-supper, a visibly unsettled Cassie confronts Ben for having failed to previously broach the subject with his folks. Intimacy turns to resentment when other issues between the couple surface, jeopardising their relationship.
A disillusioned and frustrated Cassie wants to make tracks, but the forces of nature leave her marooned at the tense domicile. Meanwhile, a confused and saddened Ben tries hard to repair the damage which has also upset his effervescent younger sister Liz (Carly Stewart), who has made it a habit of putting out jolly video blogs. Though harbouring a lifelong grudge against Gordon, Ben strangely finds himself seeking his brother’s counsel - which is at best hit-and-miss. Will someone in the household be able to provide Cassie with the consolation and understanding she needs? And when and how will Ben’s old man Kirby (James Urbaniak) come to his son’s aid? What follows is a family day out where a lot of thoughts and feelings are exchanged and an uneasy reunion occurs. Revelations abound about all characters involved and Christmas morning brings an unexpected conclusion.
Writer-director H. Nelson Tracey has come up with an auspicious debut future, which exudes a range of human emotion as well as true and relatable interactions. Mutual family banter is rife with humour and honesty, while strained rapports and the desire for resolution doesn’t seem contrived or forced. Furthermore, the roles are well defined and play into each one’s perspective on life. In fact, the whole movie can be summarised in a profound line by Kirby: “There are limits to tinkering!” and another by Gordon: “Sometimes the best thing to do is nothing at all.” Complementing Tracey’s script is some occasionally notable acting, especially from Isler and Stewart - polar opposites - who find themselves bouncing advice off each other.
Movie buffs might be reminded of the Diane Keaton/Sarah Jessica Parker 2005-starrer The Family Stone. While the themes might be a tad similar, there is sufficient inventiveness to this film to warrant it a space of its own. The cinematography adequately captures scenes in the house and around town without being obtrusive, while background songs and lyrics fit the mood of various scenes. There is even a surprising dance sequence thrown in. However, some of the story’s progression could have done with more build-up and a couple of situations lack complete credibility. Regardless, here is a moving and tickling way of spending some meaningful time, while being reminded that Christmas is an occasion for family… even if there is trouble in paradise.
