And it starts.
2025 is blowing by, and the holiday season is upon us. I read over the summer that Alicia Silverstone was filming the central Netflix holiday film for the year. That and the film’s title got me pumped.
One could doubtless guess the synopsis of “A Merry Little Ex-Mas” even if the name was a bit more subtle. The reason we watch a film like this is strictly enjoyment. It’s not meant to be analyzed and dissected. Written by Holly Hester and directed by Steve Carr, it’s 90 minutes of holiday cheer that will put a smile on your otherwise dour mug.
A Blast from the Past
Every guy who grew up in the 90s knows Alicia Silverstone. The teen heartthrob burst onto the scene in a series of Aerosmith videos courtesy of their mega-album “Get a Grip”. She had roles in now obsolete movies “The Crush” and “Clueless” winning the 1994 MTV Movie Award for Best Breakthrough Performance for the former. If that’s not Gen-X enough, Silverstone is a vegan and staunch PETA advocate and, nostalgia aside, is thoroughly enjoyable to watch.
Oliver Hudson, who I loved from the sitcom “Rules of Engagement” co-stars. Hudson is equally at home with the humor and campiness a Netflix Christmas movie requires.
If that’s not enough for your 90s tastebuds, Melissa Joan Hart lends support and serves as co-producer.
The Plot
Kate (Silverstone) narrates her life story to open the film. She had dreams of being a big city architect until she met and fell in love with Everett (Hudson), a doctor who convinced her to move to the small fictional town of Winterlight. It’s like he grew up in a Yankee candle, Kate says.
Kate is an environmentalist with over-the-top zeal. She loves Christmas but maintains strict rules that keep everything natural and low-key. The couple has grown apart and has decided to amicably part ways after the holidays.
Daughter Sienna (Emily Hall) and her hysterical new boyfriend (Timothy Innes), a Harry Potter-obsessed tour guide, will be joining the Yuletide festivities. As will their son Gabriel, played by Oliver Hudson’s real-life son, Wilder Hudson, in his acting debut.
Jameela Jamil and Pierson Fodé portray potential new love interests for Everett and Kate. Geoffrey Owens and Derek McGrath portray Everett’s parents, a gay couple diversifying the otherwise blindingly white cast.
`Tis the Season
“A Merry Little Ex-Mas” offers charm and humor with the backdrop of Christmas. There are interesting plot devices that feel original.
We get Kate struggling with her youthful desires of being a big city stud and her current reality as a small-town mom. Gabriel dreams of being a firefighter in lieu of going to college. I laughed out loud at the name of the café they frequent – Bread Zeppelin.
If you are looking for a Christmas movie, you could do better and you could do worse. “A Merry Little Ex-Mas” has all the ingredients to pass the test, even if it falls short of acing it.
