Is it time yet for a holiday movie?
It may seem a bit premature but LOVE THE COOPERS could easily be set around any holiday. Think of it as dysfunctional family regifting.
LOVE THE COOPERS borrows from a lot of movies—even hinting touches of IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE. Well, maybe that’s pushing it.
The Cooper clan is led by John Goodman and wife Diane Keaton. And while there are no sparks left in their marriage they DO look forward to their annual Christmas Eve dinner for which several generations reunite for this once-a-year multigenerational feast.
And everyone there is dealing with their own set of issues, from broken relationships to getting caught shoplifting.
And you guessed it, everything falls apart at precisely the wrong time.
We’re talking heavy cases of jealousy, grudges, losses and insecurities—not to mention some bittersweet emotional baggage.
But don’t let that scare you off!
It’s all cemented, thanks to the film’s top notch ensemble cast which, besides Goodman and Keaton, includes Ed Helms, Amanda Seyfried, Olivia Wilde, Marisa Tomei, June Squibb, Anthony Mackie and Alan Arkin as grandpa ‘Bucky.’
LOVE THE COOPERS is lighthearted yet dark where it needs to be.
Navigating through the movie is actually fun as we can pick out similar characters in our own lives.
That said, this may just be the right dark comedy to lead us into this year’s yule season.
And if there is just one song that could perfectly capture this story, it would certainly be We Are Family.
My grade: C+
(Reviewed at Glenwood Arts Theatre)
JACK GOES TO THE MOVIES Friday mornings during Kansas City’s Morning News with E.J. & Ellen on 98.1 FM, KMBZ.
