Christmas romantic comedies are a tricky thing, especially in Four Christmases, where the main couple, Brad McVie (Vince Vaughn) and Kate Kinkaid (Reese Witherspoon), are already together when the film begins. The King of Kong documentary helmer Seth Gordon made his scripted directorial debut with Four Christmases, and both Witherspoon and Vaughn had previous rom-com experience under their belts when the film opened in theaters in 2008. It has since become a popular Christmas movie.
Four Christmases gets its title from the fact that Brad and Kate both come from homes that were split up by divorces. Brad’s parents, Howard McVie (Robert Duvall) and Paula (Sissy Spacek), each have their own families now. The same is true for Kate’s parents, Creighton (Jon Voight) and Marilyn Kinkaid (Mary Steenburgen). To avoid having to spend time at any of the respective four family gatherings, Brad and Kate have always made sure that they were out of town for the holidays.
Unfortunately for the couple, Brad and Kate are forced to stay home one year and visit four different sides of their extended families on Christmas. This also puts pressure on their relationship as Brad and Kate realize that they’ve both been keeping secrets from each other.
Where is Four Christmases streaming?
To watch this Christmas comedy, head to Max to begin streaming. Launched as HBO Max in 2020, Max offers programs from its signature brands, such as HBO, Cartoon Network, and Warner Bros. Legacy shows like The Sopranos, The Wire, Succession, and Game of Thrones can all be watched on the service. And original programming, like Hacks and The Flight Attendant, exists under “Max Originals.”
Because it streams under WarnerMedia, Four Christmases is available to watch on TNT and TBS this holiday season. If you do not have cable TV, the film can be accessed through live TV streaming services like Hulu + Live TV and Sling TV. Hulu + Live TV features a fixed lineup of cable channels, while Sling TV is an à la carte model that lets users pick and choose the channel lineup.
When does it stream for subscribers?
Four Christmases is currently streaming on Max.
Stream Four Christmases on Max
Additionally, Hulu subscribers can watch Four Christmases through the end of December.
Stream Four Christmases on Max
How much does it cost?
Max subscribers can choose between a plan with ads and a plan without ads. With ads, Max costs $10 a month or $100 a month. Without ads, Max costs $15 a month or $150 a year.
Hulu users have more options. The ad-supported tier is $8 per month or $80 per year. Without ads, Hulu is $18 a month. There are also Hulu + Live TV plans including Disney+ and ESPN+ that run $77 with ads, $82 with ads only on Hulu and ESPN+, or $90 a month for a nearly ad-free streaming service with the exception of ESPN+.
Cable TV subscribers can watch Four Christmases for free on TNT and TBS. Without cable, the film is available through live TV platforms like Hulu + Live TV and Sling TV. Hulu + Live TV $75 per month. Sling TV offers two basic packages: Orange and Blue. Separately, those packages cost $40 per month or $55 together. Extra Sling channels cost anywhere from $3 to $11.
Is it worth watching Four Christmases?
Even though the film has its flaws, Witherspoon and Vaughn are charming enough to make this Christmas movie worth your while. The official synopsis reads: “A couple struggles to visit all four of their divorced parents on Christmas.”
Four Christmas is directed by Seth Gordon and written by Matt R. Allen, Caleb Wilson, Jon Lucas, and Scott Moore. In addition to Witherspoon and Vaughn, the ensemble features Robert Duvall, Jon Favreau, Dwight Yoakam, Tim McGraw, Kristen Chenoweth, Mary Steenburgen, Jon Voight, and Sissy Spacek.
On Rotten Tomatoes, Four Christmases registers 25% on the Tomatometer and a 47% audience score. On Metacritic, the film holds a Metascore of 41 and a user score of 7.4.
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