MOTHERS UNITE TO FINALLY SEE THE LIGHT

Michelle Pfeiffer rages politely against the patriarchal bias of the festive season in a gently effervescent comedy directed by Michael Showalter.

- 

OH. WHAT. FUN.

CERT 12 ON PRIME VIDEO NOW

It employs an omnipresent droll voiceover to poke fun at the lack of holiday movies celebrating legions of tireless mothers, who decorate the house, bake cookies, wrap gifts and cook dinner while the rest of their clan slips serenely into a sugar-induced coma.

Texas housewife Claire Clauster (Pfeiffer) runs herself ragged hosting the festivities for her husband Nick (Denis Leary), three children Channing (Felicity Jones), Taylor (Chloë Grace Moretz) and Sammy (Dominic Sessa), son-in-law Doug (Jason Schwartzman) and two grandchildren in an unspoken competition with her "perfect" neighbour, Jeanne Wang-Wasserman (Joan Chen).

Feeling underappreciated at the most wonderful time of the year, Claire is devastated when the family departs without her for a live dance show, which she arranged as a surprise.

It's the cheese straw that breaks the camel's back and Claire angrily packs a bag and embarks on a solo cross-country odyssey, bound for the 5th Annual Holiday Mom Contest hosted by her favourite TV star, Zazzy Tims (Eva Longoria).

Adapted by Showalter and author Chandler Baker from her novel, Oh. What. Fun. gives Pfeiffer free rein to become a mother who would rather wreck the halls, taking out pent-up frustrations as the rest of the clan learns some wholesome lessons about gratitude.