What a waste of my time!!!

This is a tender, generous movie that likes its characters and presents them as real people, full of flaws and strengths.

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

.Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

Four Christmases attempts to be a humorous heartwarming holiday movie about modern-day scrooges, but it ends up being too negative for its own good. The predictable "lesson learned" ending seems too short and tacked on. There were some funny moments, but I don't think I'll watch this one again.

A festive holiday explanation of why terrible people have extend their terrible tendencies to then have (probably) terrible children. Other than a couple of funny Vaughn moments (which are nearly as rare as a Santa sighting here), I hated every single moment and non-authentic character in this angry, cynical, mean-spirited, nonsensical, and stupid Christmas cash grab. And as much as I love a good take down of the Evangelical church, that scene is offensive and unfunny in every way possible...I guess it fits right in.

Four Christmases (2008): Dir: Seth Gordon / Cast: Vince Vaughn, Reese Witherspoon, Robert Duvall, Mary Steenbergen, Sissy Spacek: Mediocre holiday comedy about getting the most out of life. That could be largely aided by just avoiding this film altogether. Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon try to avoid family at Christmas but when they are unable too, they are put in a position where they must visit both sets of divorced parents in one day. This becomes a headache to them as well as those viewing the film. The premise is rushed but the concept was stale to begin with. Formula storytelling and a predictable outcome also fails to materialize this beyond the list of worst Christmas films. Director Seth Gordon is backed by fine performances by Vaughn and Witherspoon but veteran supporting cast that includes Robert Duvall and Mary Steenburgen are a waste. Vaughn must face certain facts that have the potential to threaten his marriage and other relationships, although one can understand his dismay at the reality of a former friend marrying his mother. Witherspoon now decides that she wants children, as if that must be the ultimate goal for a family. The veteran actors can only relish the shame that unfolds. Sissy Spacek in particular is a shameful waste barely uttering a word, but then again, this is a massive step down from Coal Minor's Daughter. Crammed together mess results in four times the waste of time. Score: 4 / 10

Four Christmases is the case where the inherent jolliness of its cast may disguise the film's lack of sense, consistency, humor, tone, and purpose. Similar things can be said about a number of romantic comedies nowadays such as Friends With Benefits and No Strings Attached, and on an unromantic note, Bad Teacher. Out of that lot, this one is probably the least impressive; it's too bad it can't assemble a great line of jokes and character situations as it can a heartwarming cast.Our story lies with Brad (Vince Vaughn) and Kate (Reese Witherspoon), a happily unmarried couple with divorced parents they never see to avoid contention. For recent years during the holidays, they've vacated their hometown of San Francisco in favor of luxurious paradises instead of staying in the state of California, where they could be bothered by their parents. This year, their vacation to Fiji is cancelled because of an abrupt storm that grounds all flights in and out of the state, and because Brad and Kate were featured on a news report due to the massive cancellation, they must go visit all four of their parents in one day.Keep in mind, being the unmarried people they are, they've never met each others' parents and for good reasons. We find out that Brad's brothers (Jon Favreau and Tim McGraw) are a bunch of narcissistic neanderthals and his father (Robert Duvall) does little to better them, while his mother (Sissy Spacek) is a sweetheart, but so consumed and needy ever since being a brand new relationship. Kate's mom (Mary Steenburgen) is easily smitten, being so taken with Brad's attractiveness, and her father (Jon Voight), in the little time we see him, seems to be a standup father. There's little minor problems in each one of these visits (or vignettes, whatever) but few of them are maximized into central issues.The only one I can see is that Brad and Kate learn that they don't know a whole lot about each other after playing Brad's mother's cockamamie "Newlywed" style game that is supposed to test how much you know about your partner. Brad sees that his knowledge on Kate is unusually thin after three years of being together, and Kate realizes that her biggest fear, having kids, may not be such a crippling thing after all, since she gets much experience with children on this trip.Certain instances are cute and generate laughs; take for example the scene in the church, where Brad and Kate are volunteered to play Joseph and Mary, respectively, in a scene replicating the birth of the baby Jesus alongside Dwight Yoakam's energetic pastor. The scene is lively and good-natured, but these seldom scenes that generate a smirk or a small chuckle come sandwiched between mediocre material that serves as story-filler for much of the picture.I'll give Four Christmases credit for a couple things, however. It assembles a talented cast that, for once, handle a romantic comedy in ways that do not seem like a "phoned in" job, and the fact that the film is concise and time-managed, not sticking around for another thirty minutes like the ending could've allowed it to. But if there's any reason to endure this eighty minutes of genial filmmaking, it's to see a pleasantly effervescent and charming Reese Witherspoon efficiently handle her material. Her and Vaughn (who has unfortunately been victim to rather mundane material with this and Couples Retreat recently) strike up a solid, likable chemistry that can sustain the film for the most part, even with corny lines and a rather tired line of jokes.On a final blessing, Four Christmases doesn't center around shallow Christmas materialism. Unfortunately, its message is hazily concocted showing a couple seemingly reconnect with each other in a meaningful way, while at the same time attempting to avoid their family during the year's most wonderful time. But I've gone too far in analyzing this picture. From mentioning Dwight Yoakam's pastor to trying to extract a theme I must say, "mistletoe!" Starring: Vince Vaughn, Reese Witherspoon, Robert Duvall, Sissy Spacek, Jon Favreau, Tim McGraw, Jon Voight, Mary Steenburgen, and Dwight Yoakam. Directed by: Seth Gordon.