Christmas with the Coopers

I started this movie just because nothing was on (tube full of Xmas). I was first sucked in by the great John Goodman and the sublime Alan Arkin. Once Olivia Wilde's character started to develop I was hooked.

I am gobsmacked to see how wrong the low ratings for this movie are. The unique characters and the depth of emotions, mostly love, are incredible. Maybe people want quick cuts and action and just don't know how to let a movie based on dialogue slowly draw them in and make you care about the characters, all of which are rounded and easily lovable,yet each deeply flawed in ways anyone that has lived a few decades will identify with.

I am a tough guy in my 50s and I shed tears three times. Not only that,but several times I had to pause the film so I could ponder how the wise words about love and life relate to my life and mistakes. From this day on my life will be better because of what i realized was true,as displayed in this movie, about family, love, regrets. And I will forever love Olivia Wilde. Her scenes alone are worth watching this movie.

If you can watch this movie closely and not shed a tear, you are dead inside and should immediately seek psychiatric help. Solid 7.5/10

Any number of the films we now think of as unassailable holiday classics -- Christmas in Connecticut, White Christmas, even It's a Wonderful Life -- were dismissed as corny and formulaic in their original reviews, so it's no surprise that Meet the Coopers met the same fate. But I suspect time will be kind to this one: it's warm without being gooey, the humor is sharp and observant, the ensemble is top-notch, and the soundtrack is quite lovely.

If, like me, you're a fan of the dysfunctional-family Christmas comedy (The Ref, La Bûche, A Christmas Tale), this one may well sneak up on you and enter your annual holiday rotation. If I ever get to update my holiday film guide "Have Yourself a Movie Little Christmas," this one would definitely go in.

Okay so I don't understand the super low reviews here but I understand why it's not a ten. There are parts that are kind of cheesy and silly and I don't love all the characters... But there are moments of such real beauty in this movie. Absolutely worth a watch!!

I think this is one of those movies that you either love or hate. I loved it, my husband hated it. It definitely is a bit of a downer which is why I gave it a 7/10. It's not gonna be a movie that puts you in a holly jolly mood (at least not until the last 15 minutes). So I understand why many people disliked it. But with that said, I found the brutal honesty very charming. It felt real and still managed to have quite a few laughs in the midst of the drama. Very reminiscent of The Family Stone. I think if they hadn't marketed it as a comedy, so that people knew what to expect going in, it would have a better score right now. Something else that I noticed and loved was the way it was filmed. It was very beautifully shot, and there were lots of gorgeous close ups that, to me, made the scenes even better. And I really enjoyed how a few shots were filmed from the perspective of the children as they were running through crowds or stores etc. Very unique and added a little extra something (though maybe I only noticed because I'm a photographer). Probably not something kids will enjoy (there were more than a few in our theater and they didn't seem very interested).

A festive movie about family, about values, about love and everything else. With a little twist at the end if you want to call it that. Other than that it is pretty much by the numbers (predictable that is). But it's a fun movie to watch and it's lovely to see another story about family interactions.

If you like that kind of stuff that is. But it's light (drama included of course) and it's fun overall. The acting talent at hand is amazing and it's clear they're having a blast. I guess watching it around Christmas time makes the most sense, but you could also watch it anytime else and still have that good feeling