Saagar Kote
Based on Chandler Baker’s eponymous book, ‘Oh. What. Fun.’ is the heartwarming story of Claire Clauster (Michelle Pfeiffer), who lives her life for the sake of her husband Nick (Denis Leary) and children Channing (Felicity Jones), Taylor (Chloë Grace Moretz), and Sammy (Dominic Sessa). As Christmas nears, the family awaits celebrations as usual. However, years after sacrificing her happiness, Claire finally decides to live for herself and enters a TV contest that she likes.
As the kids and the husband struggle to accept this new personality of Claire, she has her friends to support her. Amazon Prime Video’s Christmas comedy film, directed by Michael Showalter, is a female-centric story that explores familial bonds, liberation, and happiness. These movies, similar to ‘Oh. What. Fun.’ will keep your holiday spirits alive, while also entertaining you.
10. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (1983)
‘The Best Christmas Pageant Ever’ is the tale of a small community church preparing for its children’s Christmas pageant. When the event director is hospitalized, Grace Bradley (Loretta Swit) reluctantly steps in as the substitute, promising the worried community that the annual pageant will proceed. What begins as a celebration soon turns chaotic when the unruly kids start troubling each other, leading the adults into a state of confusion. It is up to Grace to prevent embarrassment and guide the kids through the festivities. Directed by George Schaefer, the Christmas drama film reflects the festive spirit and visual tones of ‘Oh. What. Fun.’ Both stories deal with women who must find their own voice amidst the chaos.
9. Grandma (2015)
‘Grandma,’ directed by Paul Weitz, follows the story of Sage (Julia Garner), who unexpectedly becomes pregnant. With the end of the day approaching, she desperately needs six hundred dollars to terminate her pregnancy. Her only support system at this point is her socially isolated grandmother, Elle (Lily Tomlin), who is dealing with the death of her long-term girlfriend. With both women facing financial issues, they decide to hit the road and go on a long drive to earn enough money for the abortion procedure. The comedy-drama film, on the lines of ‘Oh. What. Fun.’ is a story of familial bonds, especially between women. Shades of Claire’s character in the Michelle Pfeiffer starrer are visible in both Sage and Elle.
8. One True Thing (1998)
Based on Anna Quindlen’s eponymous novel, ‘One True Thing’ revolves around a middle-aged homemaker named Kate Gulden (Meryl Streep), who is dying of cancer. Her daughter, Ellen Gulden (Renée Zellweger), who is career-driven, reluctantly moves back home to care for her ailing mother, which ultimately changes her perspective on her family. George Gulden (William Hurt), a talented professor and Kate’s husband, deals with his own issues as he assumes that his daughter doesn’t care for her mother. As Kate’s condition deteriorates, the family must accept the consequences and recognize its reality. Helmed by Carl Franklin, the drama film, akin to ‘Oh. What. Fun.’ is a tale of deep familial bonds and unexpected turbulence in relationships.
7. Christmas with the Kranks (2004)
Directed by Joe Roth, ‘Christmas with the Kranks’ navigates the experiences of a couple, Luther Krank (Tim Allen) and Nora Krank (Jamie Lee Curtis), who decide to skip Christmas and go on a cruise to spend time with each other. As they get ready to celebrate Christmas in a new way, their plan faces an unexpected hurdle. Their daughter, Blair (Julie Gonzalo), shockingly, tells her parents that she is returning home and is getting married to a strange man named Enrique (René Lavan), whom she met in Peru. With the festive spirit finding them again, they must somehow create the magic of Christmas at their home, with only a few hours in hand. Based on the novel ‘Skipping Christmas’ by John Grisham, the comedy film shares similarities with ‘Oh. What. Fun.’ due to its portrayal of familial bonds and the meaning of Christmas in similar settings.
6. Surviving Christmas (2004)
‘Surviving Christmas’ is the story of Drew Latham (Ben Affleck), a wealthy man living a mundane life. With his loneliness taking a toll on his Christmas spirit, he desperately seeks to find someone to celebrate the festival with. When he runs out of options, he makes a surprising offer of money to a strange family to let him join them for the festival and provide him with a sense of family and belonging. As members of the Valco family become involved in Drew’s life, it leads to a complex bond that may be the difference between love and isolation. Directed by Mike Mitchell, the romantic comedy film reflects the emotions of ‘Oh. What. Fun.,’ as it focuses on the idea of family, meaning, the value of Christmas, and the importance of finding one’s own happiness.
5. A Merry Friggin’ Christmas (2014)
In ‘A Merry Friggin’ Christmas,’ or ‘A Merry Christmas Miracle,’ Boyd Mitchler (Joel McHale) avoids his parents for a long time in his life due to the emotional issues he has with his father, Virgil Mitchler (Robin Williams). As Christmas nears, his wife, Luann (Lauren Graham), convinces him to finally spend time with his parents. As the couple and the kids arrive at the family home, they realize that they have forgotten to carry the gifts for their kids. This forces Boyd to finally spend time with his father on an epic road trip to save the festival’s spirit. The black comedy film, directed by Tristram Shapeero, is spiritually connected to ‘Oh. What. Fun.’ due to its chaotic navigation of the idea of family, especially the parent-child relationship.
4. Love the Coopers (2015)
Helmed by Jessie Nelson, ‘Love the Coopers’ is a comedy-drama film that centers on the members of the Cooper family. Sam Cooper (John Goodman) and his wife, Charlotte Cooper (Diane Keaton), face marital issues that lead them toward a potential divorce. When they visit their son Hank (Ed Helms) for Christmas, they decide to keep their separation a secret. Meanwhile, their daughter Eleanor (Olivia Wilde) fakes her relationship with Joe Bailey (Jake Lacy), just to impress her family. These secrets and lies converge hilariously when the family reunites to celebrate Christmas. Like ‘Oh. What. Fun.,’ the narrative deals with the consequences of hidden emotions within a familial setting. The two films also share the elements of trust, individuality, and redemption.
3. Nothing Like the Holidays (2008)
‘Nothing Like the Holidays’ narrates the story of the Rodriguez family. Directed by Alfredo Rodriguez de Villa, it chronicles the journeys of Mauricio Rodriguez (John Leguizamo), Edy Rodriguez (Alfred Molina), and other family members as they prepare for a Christmas that could be their last one together. During an eventful dinner, a shocking announcement threatens to end the unity of the family. This causes the kids and the parents to go on a difficult journey of reconciliation, which could save the family. The comedy-drama movie, on the lines of ‘Oh. What. Fun.’ is a nuanced depiction of the consequences of choices within intimate settings, and the importance of communication and individuality within a group. The films also portray the spirit of Christmas and the idea of finding happiness in unexpected ways.
2. The Family Stone (2005)
In ‘The Family Stone,’ the annual Christmas celebration of the liberal Stone family becomes a challenge for corporate woman Meredith Morton (Sarah Jessica Parker), who has conservative values. Accompanying her boyfriend, Everett Stone (Dermot Mulroney), she feels like a complete outsider. Despite her best efforts, the Stones are reluctant to accept her. When an unexpected romance starts between Meredith and Everett’s brother Ben (Luke Wilson), it complicates the whole situation further in the comedy-drama film directed by Thomas Bezucha. The experiences of Claire in ‘Oh. What. Fun.’ and Meredith in the film are thematically similar as they have to deal with the doubts, disapproval, and insecurities of others, while also finding their own voice.
1. Home for the Holidays (1995)
Based on Chris Radant’s eponymous short story, ‘Home for the Holidays’ is the tale of Claudia Larson (Holly Hunter), a single mother who gets ousted from her job due to an affair with her superior. She has avoided seeing her family in order to pursue her life on her own terms. Her careful distancing gets disturbed when her daughter decides to spend Thanksgiving with her boyfriend at Claudia’s parents’ family home. This leads to chaos in Claudia’s life, as she must confront her parents and her own insecurities, while also sharing a complex bond with her brother Tommy (Robert Downey Jr.). The family comedy drama film directed by Jodie Foster is similar to ‘Oh. What. Fun.’ due to its depiction of familial bonds in the modern world, the independence of women, and the value of communication and understanding.
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