Skip to content
MovieCove
Four Christmases

Four Christmases

His father, her mother, his mother and her father all in one day.

200888 minPG-13Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films
Director
Seth Gordon
Starring
Vince Vaughn, Reese Witherspoon, Robert Duvall, Sissy Spacek

Brad and Kate have made something of an art form out of avoiding their families during the holidays, but this year their foolproof plan is about go bust -- big time. Stuck at the city airport after all departing flights are canceled, the couple is embarrassed to see their ruse exposed to the world by an overzealous television reporter. Now, Brad and Kate are left with precious little choice other than to swallow their pride and suffer the rounds.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Four Christmases?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Four Christmases to rent or buy on Prime Video, and on no subscription service.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Four Christmases?

Four Christmases earns 6 badges, led by Star-studded and Christmas pick.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Cast

Reception

Is Four Christmases worth watching?

Four Christmases' Midcredits score is the 31st percentile of all films, from 239K ratings across 6 sources. 35% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

31st percentile

Better received than 31% of films

34th percentile among Comedy30th percentile among 2000s
Acclaim (how much people like it)33rd
Approval (how many liked it)30th

56 /100

33rd percentile of all films

36th percentile among Comedy33rd percentile among 2000s

Critics 41 · Audience 58

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 5.9 — solid but not unanimous.

35% liked it

30th percentile of all films

32nd percentile among Comedy28th percentile among 2000s
35% rated it 7–1065% rated it 1–6

Critics 24% · Audience 47%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of audiences approved than critics.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 0 wins / 1 noms overall

97th percentile

239K ratings across platforms

97th percentile among Comedy94th percentile among 2000s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 32% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$80M
Opening weekend$31M
Domestic gross$120M
Worldwide gross$164M

Returned 2.1× its budget — 97th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both camps agree the film is a formulaic, predictable holiday comedy with a stellar but underused cast, where the humor either lands as fun chaos or falls flat as crude overkill.

Fans praised

  • Strong supporting cast of veteran actors
  • Genuine laughs and quotable moments
  • Surprising emotional depth about family bonds

Detractors panned

  • Crude humor relying on vomit and slapstick
  • Leads lack romantic chemistry
  • Mean-spirited tone with unlikable characters

What stands out

ActingDivisive65

Star-studded cast including multiple Oscar winners, but leads are divisive

PacingDivisive55

Brisk 88-minute runtime saves it, but visits feel rushed

DialogueDivisive50

Vince Vaughn's rambling one-liners land or annoy

HumorDivisive40

Divisive: slapstick and crude gags versus genuinely funny scenes

CharactersDivisive35

Shallow, unlikable protagonists; cartoonish family stereotypes

Atmosphere35

Lacks Christmas spirit, feels cynical

Plot and story30

Predictable formula of visiting four dysfunctional families

Originality25

Recycled premise from other family holiday comedies

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 4 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 2 points apart
  • Critics vs users 2 points apart
  • US vs non-US 7 points apart

Watch experience

What is Four Christmases like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Easy laugh: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you want something light that makes you laugh and does not take itself seriously.

It leaves you feeling good. Skip it when you want something with weight.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Very little.

What it feels like

Easy laugh.

Moods
JoyfulTenseWarm
Heaviest: middle
Register
PlayfulWarm
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film plays its absurd family situations straight for laughs while maintaining an underlying sincerity about relationships and family.
The rideThe film balances festive joy with the awkward tension of forced family gatherings, reaching its peak of emotional discomfort during the middle act of the family visits.
StructureThe film follows a conventional three-act structure: setup of the couple's avoidance, conflict across four family visits, and resolution of their relationship.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Feeling good.

Feel-goodHopeful
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves a warm, light-hearted feeling with a sense that the couple has grown closer.
How it ends · evidence
Happy ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Comedy
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11% (this title): Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% (this title) · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Comedy: Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony. · Comedy of errors: Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.

11% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeA couple's scheme to avoid their divorced parents' Christmas gatherings backfires, forcing them into a day of escalating family encounters that challenge their relationship.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfSelf-worth
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22% (this title): Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% (this title) · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Self

Self-worth · 7% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Dual lead
How it treats its themeThe film explores how Brad and Kate's rejection of marriage and children as a reaction to their broken families is tested by a day of forced familial interaction, ultimately questioning their self-definition.
StanceThe film interrogates the societal pressure to marry and have children, ultimately accepting the traditional path while acknowledging the couple's valid fears.

The world

Contemporary
PopSupportive music · hybrid
SettingThe film takes place on Christmas Day and follows Brad and Kate as they rush between the homes of their divorced parents in the San Francisco Bay Area.
MusicThe soundtrack includes a mix of Christmas carols and contemporary pop songs to underscore the holiday setting.

Content guide

Is Four Christmases okay for kids?

PG-13

Four Christmases is rated PG-13: “Rated PG-13 for some sexual humor and language” (MPAA). As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at mild (26/100), sexual content at moderate (40/100), language at moderate (50/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (28/100) and frightening material at minimal (14/100). Overall it is heavier than 25% of PG-13-rated films.

Ratings in 12 other countries
  • UK12
  • Canada18A
  • AustraliaM
  • Germany6
  • FranceU
  • Ireland12
  • Austria6
  • Denmark7
  • Hungary16
  • Poland18
  • SwedenBtl
  • Switzerland6
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 19% of all filmsHeavier than 25% of PG-13-rated films
Violence & Gore
Mild
light for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 20%
Sex & Nudity
Moderate
heavy for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 75%
Profanity
Moderate
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 69%
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 35%
Frightening / Intense
None / Minimal
light for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 15%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Nothing here is extreme. The strongest element is language, heavier than 69% of PG-13-rated films.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Four Christmases have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Four Christmases?

Cast

5 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Vince Vaughn
as Brad
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Reese Witherspoon
as Kate
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Robert Duvall
as Howard
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Sissy Spacek
as Paula
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.
Mary Steenburgen
as Marilyn
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Jon Voight
as Creighton
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.
Kristin Chenoweth
as Courtney
Jon Favreau
as Denver
Tim McGraw
as Dallas
Katy Mixon Greer
as Susan
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Four Christmases?

Movies like Four Christmases include Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (2009), The Family Stone (2005) and Family Switch (2023). Of the 12 closest matches, most are Christmas films, and several are comedies of errors.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

Jon Lucas and Scott Moore wrote 3 of these 12. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Four Christmases?

5.2K other films share the rarest tag below, relationship: marriage in crisis. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.