OH. WHAT. FUN.

Oh. What. Fun. works due to the always excellent Michelle Pfeiffer who is pitch perfect as an under appreciated mother putting on the best Christmas she can for her family, but despite some truly hilarious moments and a solid cast, Michael Showalter’s latest film never finds the right energy to make it a requisite yearly holiday watch.

As indicated by the main character’s narration in Oh. What. Fun., there is a significant void within the Christmas film catalogue of titles that celebrate the tireless efforts of mothers during the holiday season. There are countless films focused on fathers and their struggle to provide the holiday season they have always dreamed of for their family, but few films have bothered to shine the light on the tireless and endless endeavours of mothers who do everything, often without any thanks. The only film to recently do this was A Bad Moms Christmas, doing so with a proud raunchy heart that balanced the struggles faced by mothers, the festive spirit of the season, big laughs and a sweet heart. Michael Showalter attempts to deliver a new holiday film to help fill this void within the genre, and while he succeeds in doing so just with the casting of Michelle Pfeiffer as the overworked and under appreciated mother, his newest film never truly takes flight due to an awkward screenplay that misses the landing on too many jokes to create what should have been a new annual rewatch for the holiday season based on the film’s cast alone.

Starting your film off with a scene with Pfeiffer’s Claire shouting at a random child terrorizing his mother that he should respect her because his mother will die one day is a bold choice, showing a bite to Showalter and his co-writer Chandler Baker’s screenplay. This daring tone re-appears throughout the film, with such memorable moments as Claire’s showdown with the mall security or the brilliant line about “competing against the cast of the first episode of The Bachelor” that aren’t afraid to go for a big laugh, in addition to some of the more wholesome holiday moments that audiences have come to expect from this genre like Sammy and Lizzie’s night at the bar. And while the story’s heart is in the right place as it shines the spotlight on the underappreciated mothers of the holiday season, utilizing every stereotype of the genre from the friendly neighbourly rivalry to put on the perfect Christmas, complacent family members to squabbling children, it is all overshadowed by an idea that feels stretched out to produce a longer fill a longer film than it could sustain. During the film’s first and second act, not all of the jokes land as intended and feel rather flat, the lack of awareness of Claire’s hard work by the Clauster family begins to feel old at times, and the film overall begins to lose that holiday spark that can make such films become a yearly rewatch for viewers, causing the film’s runtime to feel longer than it actually is. Though the film ends strong in the final act, delivering some big laughs and the heartwarming conclusion that audiences expect, given Showalter’s previous films like The Idea of You, The Big Sick, The Eyes of Tammy Faye and Spoiler Alert, it's not the same standard of laughter, heart and emotionally engaging storytelling that he has displayed time and time again and audiences have come to expect from him.

Though the screenplay never reaches its true potential, Pfeiffer is sublime from start to finish. With an endless energy as she works herself to the bone to create the perfect Christmas for her family, optimism and cheer, interwoven with a bitterness of not being recognized for her efforts and a tiredness after the marathon of holiday festivities she has been organizing, Pfeiffer shines on screen for the entire film. Armed with a funny Texan accent that captures Claire, a wicked comedic timing that ensures her jokes always land, and that magnetic on screen presence she has delivered time and time again, Pfeiffer is the film’s beating heart and reason enough to hit play on this film.

Pfeiffer is innocent as to how the overall film turns out, as she gives it her all, and while the supporting cast is not short of any star power, not all of the casting choices feel right. Felicity Jones is great as Claire’s eldest daughter, struggling to navigate the holiday season on her mother’s terms while wanting to start her own traditions with her family, with a sympathy and charm, even if her accent isn’t the best. Dominic Sessa continues to prove what a talented young actor he is playing the baby of the family Sammy, bringing a playful comedic timing that works splendidly opposite Pfeiffer and Jones, while also sparking an instant and playful romantic chemistry with Havana Rose Liu in some of the film’s best scenes. And Joan Chen is a constant scene stealer as Claire’s neighbour Jeanne, delivering some of the funniest moments alongside Pfeiffer with a delightful cattiness that captures the best and worst of neighbourly rivalry during the holiday season. Jason Schwartzman never gets to use his full comedic talents as Channing’s husband Doug, and Denis Leary never truly gets into character but shares some sweet moments with Pfeiffer as Claire’s husband Nick. But of the entire cast, Chloë Grace Moretz feels the most misplaced as Claire’s daughter Taylor. With a flat personality and general lack of energy, although intentional at times, she feels very one note and makes herself appear out of place compared to the rest of the cast.

While there are aspects of Oh. What. Fun. that can be highlighted from a critical point of view that showcases the film’s weaknesses, there is still some good holiday fun to be had with the film. With the ever talented and always delightful Michelle Pfeiffer leading the film, even as a jaded mother feeling the holiday burnout, and some strong moments of uncontrollable laughter and that heartwarming Christmas feeling, Oh. What. Fun. is an enjoyable holiday watch but is unlikely to be added to many viewers’ yearly holiday rewatch list.