Anywhere But Home a.k.a. Four Christmases is a comedy directed by Seth Gordon (The King of Kong), starring Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon. The leads are supported by no less than four Oscar winners playing their parents, including: Robert Duvall, Sissy Spacek, Jon Voight and Mary Steenburgen. Anywhere But Home is like Meet the Fockers: Christmas Edition and attempts to reel in some big comedy moments with its ensemble. Vaughn plays Brad, an attorney who would rather fake humanitarian work than spend time with his family over Christmas. Witherspoon is Vaughn’s comic foil and partner, whose maternal instincts are gently tugging at her hardened heart. The two leads have an unusual chemistry, and despite being an odd couple on paper, the two make the relationship feel real. Vaughn and Witherspoon provide most of the warmth and charm to this bittersweet family farce. The premise follows a similar path to Meet the Fockers with the main exceptions being divorce and Christmas.
Most people that celebrate the festive season with their families will be able to relate to Anywhere But Home. The uneasy fit and nostalgic nightmare leaves plenty of room for comedy as demonstrated in Meet the Parents. However, Anywhere But Home is a little more biting than you would expect. The comedy sways from gross-out to sarcasm and there’s very little in-between. The terrible siblings help the comedy along and include: Jon Favreau (Swingers), Tim McGraw (Flicka) and Kristen Chenoweth (Pushing Daisies). However, there’s a sour taste to the humour, which is more ‘laugh at’ than ‘laugh with’. The lead couple is tested with each new revelation from the past. They’re confronted with information that changes the boundaries of their relationship and forces them to re-evaluate their take on starting a family of their own.
Anywhere But Home passes the time as a reasonable piece of entertainment, as long as you can handle one or two errors in the good taste department. The script isn’t as funny as Meet the Parents, but Vaughn and Witherspoon make a good team effort. The veteran Oscar contingent make their mark, but one soon realises that their forte is drama and not comedy. The situations are rife with awkward moments and the supporting characters are just unlikeable. Anywhere But Home is propelled by mean-spirited comedy and the family environments have a hostile tone. The film portrays a cynical view of family life and this perspective is exploited for comedy’s sake.
People that can appreciate the “warts-and-all” funny side to family reunions will get a kick out of Anywhere But Home. If family issues are a source of frustration, then you’ll probably find Anywhere But Home’s comedy a little unsavoury and rather prickly. The story is a little contrived, but each new family episode serves as a refresh. They may all be dysfunctional, but the ride ends on a positive note. Anywhere But Home (Four Christmases) is a sidekick to Meet the Parents, and a 2nd cousin to Meet the Fockers.
The bottom line: Entertaining.
