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Four Christmases

Four Christmases (also known as Four Holidays in Australia and New Zealand, and Anywhere But Home in the Netherlands, Norway, United Arab Emirates, and South Africa) is a movie starring Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon, released by New Line Cinema on November 26, 2008.

Synopsis[]

In a bar, a geek named Brad tries to hit on a confident Kate, who blows him off. After a short fierce exchange the two are having sex in the bathroom, and running off to the San Francisco trolley to their house, where we find that they are roleplaying, and have been happily together for 3 years. Both are wealthy, successful, and happy with their relationship as it is and have no plans for marriage. They simply want to enjoy life while being with each other, even telling so with glee to a married and engaged couple. During the conversation, Brad and Kate reveal that they are both from broken homes, and don't want to repeat that, or bring a child into one either.

Later, at a company Christmas party, two of their coworkers dread their Christmases with family, while Brad and Kate happily discuss their plans to go to Fiji. They lie to their parents each year, saying they go do civil service like helping starving children in China, so they can escape scot-free. While the coworkers are appalled, Brad reminds them that "You can't spell lies without families."

On Christmas Day, Brad and Kate prepare for the trip, telling their parents that they are going to inoculate children in Burma, and head for the airport as the San Francisco fog rolls in extra thick. By the time they arrive at the airport, all flights have been canceled due to fog. Before they can make plans to stay at the hotel and wait for the fog to lift, the local live news comes and interviews the couple. They both stumble for answers, unable to lie about their true destination because there's a good chance their families are watching. Sure enough, right after they're interviewed they start receiving phone calls. They end up making plans to visit all their parents within one day.

Brad's Dad[]

As Brad and Kate pull up to the farm where Brad's father lives, they agree to a safe word of "Mistletoe" to signal that they should get out, but it's clear Brad doesn't want to go in at all. Brad's father, Howard, greets them warmly. Also there are Brad's brothers, Dallas and his two children, and Denver and his wife and baby. Dallas and Denver start to beat on Brad, calling him Orlando. When Kate asks, Brad's brothers reveal that they were named after the cities they were conceived in: Kate is appalled that Brad never told her his real name, and Brad tries to explain that his brothers are like MMA fighters that just brawl in backyards and upload the footage to YouTube.

Kate convinces Brad that he's a grown man, and can demand his space from his brothers. Brad has a talk with his brothers about boundaries and respect. The two answer by beating him again, with even Dallas' children getting into the act. Howard breaks the fight by asking to have the presents handed out. Just as Denver's wife mentions the $10 cap that everyone agreed to Brad hands Dallas' kids a brand new Xbox 360. His brothers are appalled, not only because they feel that Brad is showing off just how much he makes, but that it makes their own presents look horrible (Dallas got one of his kids a cheap flashlight). Brad ruins it further by accidentally revealing that there's no Santa Claus. Screaming that nobody loves him one of Dallas' kids strips off his clothes and runs out the window (As someone mentions, when he can't express himself he goes streaking. He'll be back.) Howard's gift is a new satellite dish, which he takes up to the roof to install with his boys.

Kate waits with Denver's wife in the kitchen, who asks Kate to hold her baby while she cooks. Kate seems uncomfortable with the baby, but slowly grows used to it. Meanwhile Brad is installing the dish while his brothers mock him. Howard mentions his ex-wife calling her a whore. Brad is offended. Howard also mentions the same thing Brad did, about lies in families. He then goes down to check the signal, while Brad points the dish in different directions to get a clear signal. The dish pops off and he falls off the roof, dragging the cable wire all along the living room and destroying it, even pulling the TV up into the ceiling before it catches fire. Shocked by the noise, Kate swings and slams the baby's head into an open cabinet door, angering the mom. Brad and Kate quickly leave after this.

Kate's Mom[]

As they pull up, Kate's house has a statue of Jesus on the front lawn. Kate is surprised, and as they go in we meet her mother Marilyn, her sister, two aunts, and grandmother, all of whom find Brad to be very attractive. We quickly learn that Kate was picked on as a kid. Her nickname was "Cootie Kate" and was tormented, eventually leading to a traumatizing experience in a moon bounce/jumpy jump. Of course, there's one outside for the kids.

Marilyn's newfound love of religion is based on her current boyfriend, Pastor Phil. They give each other the gift of verbal promises (which disappoints the sister's kid) which includes the grandmother promising her husband more sex. As they're sharing Kate is given a baby to hold, who throws up all over her. Brad reacts horribly, the smell making him want to throw up too. Kate goes to change in the bathroom, having to wear an old sweater and jeans. She finds a pregnancy test and decides to try it. Soon, her relief is disrupted when Katie, her niece, comes into the bathroom careless of Kate's instance on the toilet or Kate's claims of returning her the pregnancy test which she opts to steal. She runs into the moon bounce where Kate tries to follow.

Meanwhile, Kate's family shows Brad their photo album, which shows Kate was once so fat she went to fat camp and had a lesbian friend in high school. The kids torment Kate in the moon bounce and even drop kick her out of it before she snaps, closing the door to the moon bounce and flinging kids left and right to get her test. When the niece puts it in her mouth Kate happily tells her that she peed on it, making the kids stop cheering and start to look sick. She looks at the test, sighing, before trying to talk to her mom. However Marilyn is too obsessed with making sure everyone is ready for Pastor Phil's sermon. Kate changes back to her now clean regular clothes but Brad is laughing at her. He mentions how he's not as fazed by her large weight as a kid or her lesbian friend (whom Kate didn't initially realize was lesbian), so Kate shouldn't be so mad about the Orlando thing.

We find out Pastor Phil runs a very flashy church and needs volunteers to star in the play of the birth of Christ. Wanting to impress him Marilyn "volunteers" Kate who gets Brad to go up with her. On stage Kate gets stage fright and can't remember her lines or actions while Brad hams it up and mocks Kate much to the crowd's delight. The two leave. Kate is upset that Brad threw her to the wolves but Brad doesn't understand what was so bad about it.

Brad's Mom[]

In a short visit they come to visit Brad's hippie mom. Things quickly turn sour as we meet Brad's stepdad, who tells Brad that he knows he can't be a father but he just wants to be a friend. Brad answers "You were my friend. You were my best friend growing up, and then you married my mom," to which he answers"To be fair I didn't have a sexual attraction to your mom until I was 30." Turns out that they are incredibly sexually active, which disgusts Brad. Kate has brought board games though, and they decide to try Taboo.

Denver is there with his wife, still angry at Brad over the incident at their dad's. The couples start to play, with one person trying to tell the other to say a key word without using any words from a short list. They try by using their personal experiences with each other. Brad's mom and stepdad do well, but all their clues are sexual. Denver and his wife play like professionals, knocking out word after word. But when Kate tries to tell Brad clues based on her life Brad gets angry wanting more specific clues. He clearly has no clue about anything involving Kate outside of what he's done with her.

As they leave, Kate is upset and Brad tries to comfort her by forgiving Kate for the bad clues. Kate mentions that she took the pregnancy test and Brad freaks out. She reveals that the test was negative but it made her think of wanting something more than the "friendship" that she and Brad have. Brad will have none of it. He's happy the way they've been and he wants to stay that way.

Kate's Dad[]

As they pull up, Kate tells Brad that he doesn't have to come in. He insists but she doesn't want to lie to her parents anymore about their relationship. He leaves and Kate's father comes out to greet her. Upon going in, Kate is shocked. Marilyn and Pastor Phil are there too, getting along well with everyone. Kate asks her sister, saying she thought that their mom and dad hated each other, but they stopped and started gathering when their granddaughter was born. Kate goes upstairs to be alone for a bit when her father comes in and reveals that he always knew she was lying about leaving for Christmas. He isn't upset, but warns her that he used to make lies to avoid his family, and many divorces later, he now wishes he had that time back.

Brad goes back to see his dad, who is drinking on the porch. When Brad tells him that Kate offered to make a family with him and he said no, his dad finally seems happy. He tells Brad that he's the smart one, not falling for getting married, and says how they're alike. This frightens Brad, knowing that he has become his father. He goes upstairs to his old room, where all his old toys and awards (all in his birth name, Orlando) are still arranged. He goes back to see Kate, who at first doesn't want to see him. He does convince her that he is there to talk to her about having kids and getting married "sometime, not right now but sometime." The two talk about the advantages and tax breaks that being married and having kids would bring.

One Year Later…[]

It's New Years Day, just after midnight, and Brad and Kate are amazed that they just had a baby. The nurse comes in and tells them that if family is waiting they're now allowed to come and visit. Brad and Kate look at each other before revealing that they never even told their parents that Kate was pregnant. The nurse gives them a funny look and leaves, just as a live news crew comes to interview them about having the first baby of the new year. As they stare nervously, just before Kate can answer the baby throws up all over her and Brad.

Songs[]

Title Performer(s)
"White Christmas" (Declan Crawls remix) Bing Crosby
"Baby, It's Cold Outside" Dean Martin with Martina McBride
"Sleigh Ride" Ferrante & Teicher
"It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas"
"Hot Hot Hot" Buster Poindexter
"Santa Claus is Comin' to Town"
"Silver Bells"
"Rock & Roll Part 2" Gary Glitter
"Joy to the World"
"O Little Town of Bethlehem" Sarah McLachlan
"Jingle Bell Rock" Bobby Helms and The Anita Kerr Singers
"I'll Be Home for Christmas" Dean Martin
"(There's No Place Like) Home for the Holidays" Perry Como
"Christmas All Over Again" Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

Availability[]

Cast[]

Actor/actress Character(s)
Vince Vaughn Brad
Reese Witherspoon Kate
Robert Duvall Howard
Sissy Spacek Paula
Jon Voight Creighton
Jon Favreau Denver
Mary Steenburgen Marilyn
Dwight Yoakam Pastor Phil
Tim McGraw Dallas
Kristin Chenoweth Courtney
Katy Mixon Susan
Colleen Camp Aunt Donna
Jeanette Miller Gram-Gram
Jack Donner Grandpa
Steve Wiebe Jim
Zak Boggan Cody
Skyler Gisondo Connor
True Bella Kasi
Patrick Van Horn Darryl
Marissa Benekos
Lora McLaughlin
News reporters
Cedric Yarbrough Stan
Brian Baumgartner Eric
Peter Billingsley Ticket agent
Sterling Beaumon
T'y Brown
Ryder Bucaro
Callie Croughwell
Taylor Geare
Zachary Gordon
Reef Graham
Zai Moore
Destiny & Diamond Petty
Bryce Robinson
Cort Rogers
Mackenzie Smith
Ava Williams
Haidyn Winther
Kids in Jump-Jump
Stephanie Venditto Angel
Creagen Dow Sheep
Noah Munck
Matthew Johnson
Screaming kids
Bubba Rambo Baritone Elder singer
Quinn VanAntwerp Glee Club Alto Singer
Howard Leese
Richie Onori
Stu Simone
Stuart Smith
Sean McNabb
Band members
Laura Johnson Cheryl
Haley Hallak Baby Clementine
JoAnn Jansen Dance instructor
David Aranovich
Steve Byrne
Irena A. Hoffman
Dancers
Collette Wolfe Cindy
Kayla Blake Nurse
Natalie Aguilar
Martin Andria
Karl Antony
Rick Camp
Daryl Harper
Giovanni Jones
Lee Kuhn
Mark Lavell
Allan Lazo
Frederick Johnson
Jeff Redlick
Indy Rishi
Isa Magomedov
Toni Staniewicz
Dominique Thomas
Cameron Thorpe
Brian Vowell
Steve Wharton
Travelers
John Cabrera
Cabran Chamberlain
Krystal MacKnight
Laura Meadows
Cindy Warner
San Francisco Airport travelers
Zach Culbertson Sky Cap
Maddie Eisler
Lauren Selman
Shoppers
Adrian Emmanuel Skier
Sue Fletcher Jo
Roger Groh Airline Passenger
Vanessa Howard Lamb
William Hoy SFO traveler carrying Christmas gift
Carol Kane Aunt Sarah
Michelle Lenhardt Guest at Restroom Door
Charles Lewis III Trolley Passenger
Fiji Airlines Employee
Ajani Perkins Orderly
David Poe Ticket Agent
Tony Sommers Italian Tourist
Jennifer Winter Flight Attendant
Alison Martin
Daniel Hagen
Vernon & Shea Vaughn
Ronald D. Brown
Jimmy Gonzales
Constance Maris
Tossapon Banks
Vincent Albo
Heather Black
Jason Castle
Eric Feliciano
Nancy Guerriero
Kitty Kreidler
Devon Ligus
Amy Mader
Brennan Taylor
Shawna Washabaugh
Maria Zambrana
Churchgoers

Gallery[]

External links[]

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Warner Bros.
Movies
Warner Bros. Pictures Christmas in ConnecticutGremlinsLethal WeaponNational Lampoon's Christmas VacationBatman ReturnsJack FrostThe Polar ExpressKiss Kiss Bang BangFred Claus
New Line Cinema The Long Kiss GoodnightElfThe Nativity StoryFour ChristmasesA Very Harold & Kumar 3D ChristmasThe Conjuring 2Collateral BeautyShazam!8-Bit Christmas
Blue Ribbon Content A Christmas Story 2A Cinderella Story: Christmas Wish
Warner Bros. Television National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation 2: Cousin Eddie's Island AdventureThe Year Without a Santa ClausChristmas on the Square
Live-action television episodes
Friends and Joey "The One With the Monkey" • "The One With Phoebe's Dad" • "The One Where Rachel Quits" • "The One With the Girl from Poughkeepsie" • "The One With the Inappropriate Sister" • "The One With the Routine" • "The One With All the Candy" • "The One With the Holiday Armadillo" • "The One With Monica's Boots" • "The One with Ross's Step Forward" • "The One With the Creepy Holiday Card" • "The One With Christmas in Tulsa" • "Joey and the Plot Twist" • "Joey and the Christmas Party"
DC Comics "Season's Greedings" • "Home is Where the Hurt Is" • "Twas the Night Before Mxymas" • "Lexmas" • "Gemini" • "Year's End" • "Three Ghosts"
Other shows "A Semi-Merry Christmas" • "Mel, the Magi" • "Mel's Christmas Carol" • "'Tis the Season to Be Jealous" • "A Christmas Story" (Growing Pains) • "The Kid" • "It's Not Easy Being Green" • "A Christmas Story" (Just the Ten of Us) • "Santa Goes Downtown" • "Let It Snow" • "The Night Court Before Christmas" • "Santa on the Lam" • "Have Yourself a Merry Winslow Christmas" • "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Urkel" • "Christmas is Where the Heart is" • "Miracle on Elm Street" • "Fa La La La Laagghh!" • "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" • "Deck the Malls" • "The Christmas Show" • "The Man Who Canceled Christmas" • "Christmas Day-Ja Vu" • "A Country Christmas" • "The Gift" • "A Miracle Happens Here" • "Homeless for the Holidays" • "Do You See What I See" • "The Miracle Worker" • "How the Finch Stole Christmas" • "The Greatest of Gifts" • "I'll Be Home For Christmas" • "Hindsight" • "Twas the Night" • "All About Christmas Eve" • "City of Mercy" • "Meet the Cuban Parents" • "Christmas Punch" • "A Clear and Presentless Danger" • "George is Being Elfish and Christ-Misses His Family" • "Santa's Secret Stuff" • "A Very Supernatural Christmas" • "The Bath Item Gift Hypothesis" • "The Maternal Congruence" • "The Santa Simulation" • "The Cooper Extraction" • "The Clean Room Infiltration" • "Christmas" (The Middle) • "A Simple Christmas" • "A Christmas Gift" • "Christmas Help" • "The Christmas Tree" • "The Christmas Wall" • "Not So Silent Night" • "A Very Marry Christmas" • "The Christmas Miracle" • "It's Beginning to Stink a Lot Like Christmas" • "Jolly Red Elf" • "The World Ain't Over 'Till It's Over" • "Santa's Village of the Damned" • "Walnuts and Demerol" • "Warning, It's Dirty" • "One False Move, Zimbabwe!" • "Give Santa a Tail-Hole" • "On Vodka, On Soda, On Blender, On Mixer" • "Family, Bublé, Deep-Fried Turkey" • "Home for Christmas" • "Jingle Bell Glock" • "The Walk-Out" • "Yule Never Know" • "Merry Ex-Mas" • "A Very Carrie Christmas" • "Veronica's Christmas Song" • "Veronica's Secret Santa" • "An Echolls Family Christmas" • "One Angry Veronica"
Animated productions
Looney Tunes and related shows The Shanty Where Santy Claus LivesBedtime for SnifflesGift WrappedBugs Bunny's Looney Christmas Tales • "It's a Wonderful Tiny Toons Christmas Special" • "'Twas the Day Before Christmas" • "Jingle Boo" • "The Great Wakkorotti: The Holiday Concert" • "A Christmas Plotz" • "Little Drummer Warners" • "No Time for Christmas" • "A Pinky and the Brain Christmas" • "It Happened One Night Before Christmas" • "In Arms Way" • "The Twelve Days of Christmas" • Christmas Eve with Yakko, Wakko & Dot • "Noel" • "The Christmas Tree" • "The Banks of the Delaware River" • "Feather Christmas" • "Yule Be Sorry" • "Christmas in July" • Bah, Humduck! A Looney Tunes Christmas • "A Christmas Carol" • "Tis the Seasoning" • "Winter Blunderland" • "The Legend of Burrito Monday" • Bugs Bunny's 24-Carrot Holiday Special • "Looneyburg Lights" • "How the Brain Thieved Christmas" • "Santamaniacs"
DC Comics "Christmas With the Joker" • "Holiday Knights" • "Frozen Out" • "Comfort and Joy" • "Storybook Holiday" • "Invasion of the Secret Santas!" • "Second Christmas" • "The True Meaning of Christmas" • "Halloween v Christmas" • "Teen Titans Save Christmas" • "Party Animal" • "Beast Boy on a Shelf" / "Christmas Crusaders" • "A Holiday Story"
Hanna-Barbera co-productions "A Dickens of a Christmas" • A Scooby-Doo! Christmas • "Ho Ho Horrors" • Tom and Jerry: A Nutcracker TaleScooby-Doo! Haunted HolidaysTom and Jerry: Santa's Little Helpers • "The Plight Before Christmas" • "Scary Christmas" • "Scroogey Doo" • "It's a Wacky Life" • "Dashing Thru the Snow" • "Signed, Sealed and Wacky" • "The Spirit of Frostnos" • Tom and Jerry: Snowman's Land
Other cartoons "Yuletide and Redtide" • A Cool Like That Christmas • "Santa Mask" • The Polar Express • "The Match Before Xmas" • A Miser Brothers' Christmas • "Da Grinchy Code / Duck" • "FROST / Undercover Claus" • "Fantastic Four Christmases / Red and White Collar" • Elf: Buddy's Musical Christmas • "Christmas in Oz" • "Top of the Naughty List" • "Mandora Saves Christmas" • Beebo Saves Christmas
Albums
Have Yourself a Looney Tunes ChristmasA Hip-Hopera ChristmasMerry Christmas: Animaniacs & Looney TunesThe Looney Tunes Kwazy ChristmasA Looney Tunes Sing-A-Long Christmas
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