While my efforts to catalogue every movie with even the most tenuous links to Christmas in the form of an annual Advent calendar might seem a tad pointless, I am occasionally rewarded for my endeavours. For were it not for this yearly exercise in futility I would not have chanced upon a film called Happy New Year Colin Burstead. But I’m glad I did. Because it’s really good.
Loosely based on Shakespeare’s Coriolanus, it plays out as a modern-day dysfunctional family drama, interspersed with some genuinely laugh-out loud moments.
Score for Christmasishness
I suppose the clue is in the title. New Year’s Eve counts as part of Christmas right? There are certainly plenty of Christmas decorations in sight and the dysfunctional family gathering is a staple of many a Christmas movie. Indeed, the film would work pretty well had the action been set on Christmas day, although there are elements of a New Year celebration, specifically the build-up to midnight, which probably make more sense for this particular narrative. It’s far from a typical festive film, but it’s one I intend to revisit in Christmases future.
James Proclaims! 