“They need to make a movie about the true heroes of the holidays…Moms.”

Both a throwback to the feeling of old holiday films and a play-by-play rehash of certain scenes from said movies, Oh. What. Fun. copies its predecessors while doing so knowingly, almost with a nod and a wink. And while those moments typically work throughout, I felt that they held the film back from ever discovering who it is and what it’s really about. What starts off so sure of itself ends a little less certain and a little more muddied. The fun here is in moderation.

When you walk into the Clauster’s Texas home come Christmastime, you feel as though they hired the Hallmark store as an interior decorator. Wreaths, candles, wallpaper that looks like giftwrap. Everything has been perfected by Claire (Michelle Pfeiffer), a mother of grown children who’s just about at her wits end. All she wants is to be nominated by one of her kids to attend the “Zazzy Tims” daytime show, who apparently is this story’s Oprah. The eldest Channing (Felicity Jones) doesn’t respond to the texts because she’s busy with her literary career, Taylor (Chloe Grace Moretz) has her hands full falling in love for the umpteenth time, and the jobless baby Sammy (Dominic Sessa) is wallowing in despair after being dumped. None of them have time for Mom, despite everything she does for them.

That’s the heart of the film, but the movie starts to lose itself about halfway through. No matter how relatable I’m sure it is in wealthy suburbs, a feud with one of Claire’s neighbors feels unnecessary, especially when she’s driven to steal a massive 5-wick candle from the mall on Christmas Eve. And after she’s left behind by her family a-la Home Alone, she takes off on an up and down road trip straight out of Planes, Trains & Automobiles. Certain elements with the father Nick (Denis Leary) yelling at the dining table, Sammy heading to a nearby bar, and just the overall entrance of the children echoes The Family Stone in spades. I’m fine with drawing inspiration from here and there, but you need to do something new or interesting with it, and I’m afraid that’s not what Oh. What. Fun. has in mind.

Keeping the whole film stitched and taped together is Michelle Pfeiffer, who’s wonderful here as the Southern belle wanting just an ounce of appreciation and effort. I love what this movie starts out saying because it’s so true. Moms are the superheroes of the holiday season the vast majority of the time; a lot of unnoticed things don’t get done unless mom is there to do the noticing. Oh. What. Fun. knows this and explores how to amend it by going outward instead of looking inward. All of the answers here, all of the quirky moments and unique dialogue reside in this lovely home waiting to be discovered through these specific people. I wonder what it might have been had it just peeked into the next door and taken an ear to a closed door. But then again, “Zazzy Tims” does look kind of fun.

“Next time, try a head count.”

Rating: 2.5 out of 5