A Merry Friggin' Christmas

Last updated

A Merry Friggin' Christmas
A Merry Friggin' Christmas poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Tristram Shapeero
Written byMichael Brown
Produced by Anthony Russo
Joe Russo
Tom Rice
Michael Flynn
Starring
CinematographyGiovani Lampassi
Edited byChristian Kinnard
Music by Ludwig Göransson
Production
company
Distributed by Phase 4 Films
Entertainment One Films
Release date
  • November 7, 2014 (2014-11-07)
Running time
82 minutes [1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

A Merry Friggin' Christmas (Also known as A Merry Christmas Miracle) is a 2014 American black comedy film directed by Tristram Shapeero and written by Phil Johnston. The film stars an ensemble cast featuring Joel McHale, Lauren Graham, Clark Duke, Oliver Platt, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Tim Heidecker, Candice Bergen and Robin Williams. The film was released by Phase 4 Films on November 7, 2014. [2] The film received generally negative reviews from critics.

Contents

Plot

Boyd Mitchler must spend Christmas with his estranged family. When he realizes that he left all of his son's gifts at home, he hits the road with his dad in an attempt to make the eight-hour round-trip before sunrise.

Cast

Production

Principal photography began in April 2013 in Atlanta, Georgia. [3] Williams died on August 11, 2014, before the film was released, and it was dedicated to his memory. [4]

Release

The film was released by Phase 4 Films on November 7, 2014. [2] It is the first film starring Robin Williams to be released after his death on August 11, 2014.

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a rating of 14%, based on 21 reviews, with an average rating of 3.45/10. [5] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 28 out of 100, based on reviews from 11 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews. [6]

Jesse Hassenger of theA.V. Club wrote, "Williams made some terrible movies, but he never phoned them in. On both counts, this one's no exception." [7]

Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter wrote, "Representing one of Robin Williams's last films, A Merry Friggin' Christmas lives up to its bah, humbug title. Not only because it's terrible, although it is, but rather because one desperately hoped that the beloved actor would go out on a high note." [8]

Geoff Berkshire of Variety wrote, "Neither warm and fuzzy in the best holiday movie traditions, nor edgy and irreverent a la 'Bad Santa' (coincidentally also co-starring Graham, to better effect), it's something of a mystery what audience A Merry Friggin' Christmas intends to serve." [9]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wendi McLendon-Covey</span> American actress and comedian (born 1969)

Wendi McLendon-Covey is an American actress known primarily for her work in comedic and improvisational roles. From 2013 until 2023, she played the role of family matriarch Beverly Goldberg on the ABC comedy series The Goldbergs, for which she was nominated for two Critics' Choice Television Awards for Best Actress in a Comedy Series.

<i>Reno 911!: Miami</i> 2007 American film by Robert Ben Garant

Reno 911!: Miami is a 2007 American cop comedy film based on Comedy Central's Reno 911! series, directed by series co-creator Robert Ben Garant. The film stars Garant alongside Carlos Alazraqui, Mary Birdsong, Kerri Kenney-Silver, Thomas Lennon, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Niecy Nash and Cedric Yarbrough.

<i>Tug</i> (film) 2010 American film

Tug is a 2010 American romantic comedy film written and directed by Abram Makowka and starring Sam Huntington, Haylie Duff, Zachary Knighton, and Sarah Drew. It was shown at the Newport Beach Film Festival & the Waterfront Film Festival.

<i>The Single Moms Club</i> 2014 American film

The Single Moms Club is a 2014 American comedy-drama film produced, written, and directed by Tyler Perry. The film stars Nia Long, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Zulay Henao, Cocoa Brown, Amy Smart, Terry Crews, and Perry. The film was released on March 14, 2014. The film received negative reviews from critics and was a box office disappointment, only grossing $16.4 million against a budget of $8 million.

<i>Blended</i> (film) 2014 American film

Blended is a 2014 American romantic comedy film directed by Frank Coraci and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. Written by Ivan Menchell and Clare Sera, the film stars Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore as two single parents who went on a blind date together and never wanted to see each other again afterwards. To their surprise, they both end up at the same African safari resort with their children and are forced to stay together. The film's ensemble cast also features Kevin Nealon, Terry Crews, and Wendi McLendon-Covey. South African cricketer Dale Steyn makes a cameo appearance as himself.

<i>Think Like a Man Too</i> 2014 American film

Think Like a Man Too is a 2014 American romantic comedy film directed by Tim Story. It is the sequel to the 2012 film Think Like a Man, based on Steve Harvey's 2009 book Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man. The script was written by David A. Newman and Keith Merryman, with Will Packer returning as producer but now under his Will Packer Productions banner. The film features an ensemble cast that includes Michael Ealy, Meagan Good, Regina Hall, Terrence J, Taraji P. Henson, Romany Malco, Gabrielle Union, Jerry Ferrara, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Gary Owen and Kevin Hart, with Jennifer Lewis and La La Anthony in supporting roles.

<i>Cuban Fury</i> 2014 British film

Cuban Fury is a 2014 British romantic comedy film directed by James Griffiths, written by Jon Brown, and starring Nick Frost, Rashida Jones, and Chris O'Dowd. The film was a minor box office success but received mixed reviews from critics.

<i>Hello, My Name Is Doris</i> 2015 film by Michael Showalter

Hello, My Name Is Doris is a 2015 American coming-of-age romantic comedy film directed by Michael Showalter from a screenplay by Laura Terruso and Showalter, about a woman in her 60s who tries to act on her attraction to a younger co-worker. It stars Sally Field in the title role, alongside Max Greenfield, Beth Behrs, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Stephen Root, Elizabeth Reaser, Natasha Lyonne and Tyne Daly.

<i>10 Rules for Sleeping Around</i> 2013 film by Leslie Greif

10 Rules for Sleeping Around is a 2013 American screwball romantic sex comedy film written, produced, and directed by Leslie Greif and starring Jesse Bradford, Chris Marquette, Tammin Sursok, Virginia Williams and Reid Ewing.

<i>Army of One</i> (2016 film) 2016 American film

Army of One is a 2016 American comedy film directed by Larry Charles and written by Rajiv Joseph and Scott Rothman. The film stars Nicolas Cage, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Rainn Wilson, Russell Brand, Denis O'Hare, Paul Scheer, and Will Sasso.

<i>Status Update</i> 2018 American teen romantic comedy film

Status Update is a 2018 American teen romantic comedy film directed by Scott Speer and written by Jason Filardi. It stars Ross Lynch and Olivia Holt.

<i>Speech & Debate</i> 2016 American film

Speech & Debate is a 2017 American film directed by Dan Harris. The film is an adaptation of the play of the same name and was released on April 7, 2017, by Vertical Entertainment.

<i>Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween</i> 2018 film by Ari Sandel

Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween is a 2018 American horror comedy film directed by Ari Sandel and written by Rob Lieber from a story by Lieber and Darren Lemke. A stand-alone sequel to 2015's Goosebumps, it is based on the children's horror book series of the same name by R. L. Stine. The new cast consists of Wendi McLendon-Covey, Madison Iseman, Jeremy Ray Taylor, Caleel Harris, Chris Parnell and Ken Jeong. The plot follows a pair of young boys who accidentally unleash the monsters of the Goosebumps franchise upon their hometown after opening an unpublished Goosebumps manuscript, causing a wave of destruction on Halloween night.

<i>Crossing Swords</i> 2020s American adult animated comedy TV series

Crossing Swords is an American adult stop-motion animated sitcom created by John Harvatine IV and Tom Root for Hulu. The series premiered on June 12, 2020. Six days after its premiere, the series was renewed for a second season, which premiered on December 10, 2021.

<i>Blush</i> (2019 film) 2019 film

Blush is a 2019 American comedy-drama film directed by Debra Eisenstadt and starring Wendi McLendon-Covey. It premiered in the U.S. Dramatic Competition section at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival under the title Imaginary Order. The film was released on April 10, 2020 by Gravitas Ventures.

<i>Sylvies Love</i> 2020 American film

Sylvie's Love is a 2020 American romantic drama film, written, directed and produced by Eugene Ashe. The film stars Tessa Thompson, Nnamdi Asomugha, Ryan Michelle Bathe, Regé-Jean Page, Aja Naomi King, and Eva Longoria.

<i>Long Weekend</i> (2021 film) 2021 drama film

Long Weekend is a 2021 American romantic comedy drama film written and directed by Steve Basilone, starring Finn Wittrock, Zoë Chao, Damon Wayans Jr., Casey Wilson, Wendi McLendon-Covey, and Jim Rash. It tells the story of a struggling writer named Bart (Wittrock) who meets Vienna (Chao), an enigmatic woman who enters his life at just the right time.

<i>Paint</i> (2023 film) American film by Brit McAdams

Paint is a 2023 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Brit McAdams. The film stars Owen Wilson, Michaela Watkins, Ciara Renée, Stephen Root, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Lucy Freyer, Lusia Strus, and Michael Pemberton.

St. Denis Medical is an American mockumentary medical sitcom co-created by Justin Spitzer and Eric Ledgin. The series follows the overworked doctors and nurses working at an underfunded Oregon hospital. Wendi McLendon-Covey, David Alan Grier, Allison Tolman, Josh Lawson, Mekki Leeper, Kaliko Kauahi, and Kahyun Kim star. St. Denis Medical premiered on November 12, 2024, on NBC.

<i>Sick Girl</i> (2023 film) American film by Jennifer Cram

Sick Girl is a 2023 American comedy film written and directed by Jennifer Cram and starring Nina Dobrev, Brandon Mychal Smith, Sherry Cola, Stephanie Koenig, Hayley Magnus, Ray McKinnon, Dan Bakkedahl, and Wendi McLendon-Covey. It marks Cram's feature directorial debut. Dobrev serves as an executive producer of the film. It received negative reviews from critics.

References

  1. ↑ "Amazon.com: A Merry Friggin' Christmas [Blu-ray]: Robin Williams, Joel McHale, Clark Duke, Lauren Graham, Wendi McLendon-Covey: Movies & TV". Amazon. Retrieved October 27, 2014.
  2. 1 2 "Robin Williams Leaves Behind Four Movies Including 'Night at the Museum 3'". TheWrap. August 11, 2014. Retrieved August 12, 2014.
  3. ↑ "'A Friggin' Christmas Miracle', starring Lauren Graham & Robin Williams, filming in Atlanta". onlocationvacations.com. April 10, 2013. Archived from the original on October 15, 2021. Retrieved July 21, 2013.
  4. ↑ ""Watch: Robin Williams in 'A Merry Friggin' Christmas' Clip"". August 16, 2014.
  5. ↑ "Merry Friggin' Christmas". Rotten Tomatoes . November 7, 2014. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
  6. ↑ "A Merry Friggin' Christmas Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved August 24, 2019.
  7. ↑ "A.V. Club". A.V. Club . November 7, 2014. Retrieved December 11, 2024.
  8. ↑ "Hollywood Reporter". The Hollywood Reporter . November 6, 2014. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
  9. ↑ "Variety". November 9, 2014. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.