Warning! The following contains spoilers for the Netflix movie A Merry Little Ex-Mas. Watch it first with a Netflix subscription and come back to read later!
The holidays are upon us, and I usually make it a goal of mine to try to find some unconventional festive movies to enjoy in addition to the best Christmas movies. Netflix has had a heater of a year with some big acclaimed releases, so I wanted to see if they'd win me over with A Merry Little Ex-Mas. I was drawn to the movie because, much like the couple in the trailer, I, too, went through a divorce during the holiday season.
A year later, my ex and I are effective co-parents, and there's no drama between us. That said, going through the holidays in the midst of our split was no picnic, so I was eager to see how this dramedy would reflect that, and hopefully be able to get a laugh out of it. Now that I've seen it, I can't help but feel like I was catfished.
I Watched A Merry Little Ex-Mas Because I Assumed The Story Would Go A Different Way
Watching the trailer for A Merry Little Ex-Mas, I felt like I was going to watch a freshly divorced couple navigate splitting up a holiday with their kids whilst still moving forward in their own lives. In fairness, it very much feels like that through two-thirds of the movie. Then we reach the end, and just like CinemaBlend's Heidi Venable, I had issues with how they stuck the landing.
Ultimately, Alicia Silverstone and Oliver Hudson's characters abandon their new lovers and decide to rekindle their marriage. They never actually get divorced, and all the problems they had as a couple that led to the split are magically fixed a year later.
Nevermind that Kate wanted to move to Boston and have the career she never got to pursue in the marriage. Forget that Everett was only at the doctor's office so often because the city had limited care providers. Apparently, all it took was him taking less time at work, and all of a sudden, their marriage is fixed. Hell, if it was that easy, I'm wondering why they didn't just go to marriage counseling rather than wasting everyone's time with a fake divorce.
Instead Of A Lighthearted Take On Breakups During The Holidays, It's A Love Story Where No One Gets Divorced
I write this critique of A Merry Little Ex-Mas because of upcoming Hallmark movies (this isn't one, but it has the vibe), and other romance movies that will come down the line. Sure, no one wants to be bummed out in a holiday movie, but I don't think the answer to this story was to force the couple back into a marriage when the reasons for doing so don't make sense.
About half of the marriages in the United States end in divorce, and guess what? There are happy endings for couples who don't end up together. Even if Everett's relationship with Tess didn't work out, or Kate's fling with Chet was short-lived, there was still a chance for this movie to end with the separated couple reaching some common ground and having a happy ending separate from each other.
I get it, no one gets married to get divorced, but it happens. What makes me mad is I feel like the trailer, as well as the title A Merry Little Ex-Mas, roped me into watching a movie that had an ending I completely disagreed with. I guess I can always watch one of the iconic breakup movies out there to get the ending I want, but I wish I could've seen a Christmas movie that put a positive spin on co-parenting during the holidays.
Watch A Merry Little Ex-Mas over on Netflix, if the ending is something that might appeal to you. I'm not sure I'll be watching it again, though I do have my eye on this upcoming amazing movie all millennials should be on alert for.
