Happiest Season is a romance about a woman planning a Christmas proposal – and it’s made us feel seriously festive.
Updated on 10 November: Tis (almost) the season to be jolly, and what better way to get in the festive spirit than by snuggling down in front of a Christmas movie?
Of course, many of us have watched the likes of Love Actually, The Holiday, and The Christmas Prince a million times over by this point. And, while we’re fans, there’s no denying that they all feel more than a little heteronormative in their approach to love.
That’s why we’re so excited that Kristen Stewart is bringing a much-needed LGBTQ+ story to the genre with her upcoming romcom, Happiest Season.
Co-written and directed by Clea DuVall, the film follows the story of Abby (Stewart) who plans to propose to her girlfriend Harper (Mackenzie Davis) while attending a big holiday party at the home of Harper’s family.
Her plans are derailed, though, when she learns that her girlfriend hasn’t actually come out to her ultra-conservative parents yet. Eep.
Despite this not-so-minor setback, though, it looks like the festive flick is still going to be filled to the brim with all those warm, fuzzy, romantic moments we all love and crave over the holidays.
Indeed, the first trailer ticks off a great deal of the classic Christmas romcom checklist: we have snow, winter woolies, snug jackets, reindeer paraphernalia, oversized gingerbread houses, and a star-studded cast.
There are diamond rings, too, and romantic festive lighting aplenty.
But there is also some serious jeopardy.
“Do you know how painful it’s been to watch the person I love hide me?” Abby asks Harper, during one of the trailer’s more emotionally-charged moments.
“I am not hiding you, I am hiding me,” she replies, tears shining in her eyes.
Check it out:
As reported on 14 September: Speaking about Happiest Season with People, Stewart said: “I think I’ve wished to see a gay Christmas romcom my whole life.
“I’m so happy and proud of Clea for bringing this into the world.”
DuVall added: “I’m a huge fan of Christmas movies, but I had never seen my story represented.
“Happiest Season felt like a great opportunity to tell a universal story from a new perspective.”
As well as Stewart and Davis, Happiest Season also boasts the acting talents of Schitt’s Creek star Dan Levy, Mary Steenburgen, Victor Garber, Alison Brie, Aubrey Plaza, and Mary Holland.
It is expected to hit US cinemas on 25 November, although a UK date has yet to be announced.
Watch this space, we guess…
Images: Getty
Kayleigh Dray
Kayleigh Dray is Stylist’s digital editor-at-large. Her specialist topics include comic books, films, TV and feminism. On a weekend, you can usually find her drinking copious amounts of tea and playing boardgames with her friends.
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