Sometimes when you hit the theater, you know pretty much exactly what you’re going to get. Such is the case with Love the Coopers, the new holiday comedy from director Jessie Nelson. Centering on the many branches of the Cooper family tree, the film features an ensemble cast ostensibly led by Diane Keaton and John Goodman as they scurry together for a holiday dinner together. Hilarity ensues.

Perhaps it was the widespread financial and critical success of Love Actually, but whatever the case may be, the past decade or so has seen an dramatic increase in comedies gathering together a bunch of big names for anthology-style storytelling that sees their individual storylines converge in the third act. Occasionally, this approach yields a fulfilling tale that packs in a number of surprising twists, but more often than not, the results are half-baked studio cash-ins designed to pack in a laundry list of recognizable stars anchored to some holiday or another (i.e. Valentine’s Day, New Year’s Eve, etc.).

Despite its gifted cast, Love the Coopers falls slightly more towards the latter. Keaton, Goodman and company do their best to elevate the material, but the script’s tone is so wildly uneven that it shifts from gruff cynicism to syrupy schmaltz at a moment’s notice. Too frequently, the film slips into the solace of cliché, as it simultaneously takes on a ton of different story points and themes without really delving deeply into any of them.

Amanda Seyfried and Alan Arkin’s story stands out as one of the few that actually packs some genuine emotional punch, even if its predictable resolution deflates some of its impact along the way. As a waitress and her most loyal customer, Seyfried and Arkin depict an unlikely friendship that touches on deeper themes than much of the rest of the film, and the ideological clash between Olivia Wilde and Jake Lacy’s characters is fun to watch as a quirky distraction from the more tired aspects of the film’s tapestry.

Billed as lighthearted fare, Love the Coopers actually becomes quite somber throughout before wrapping things up in that most Hollywood of ways, with a somewhat disingenuous denouement that ties all the myriad story threads together in one big, happy bow. Still, the film’s message about the emotional baggage unintentionally heaped onto us by family and the realization that none of us are perfect, despite our best intentions, is admirable, even if the film espousing this sentiment is less daring and insightful than it wants to be.

Moviegoers looking for something to put them in the holiday spirit may be surprised by how downbeat the film is for much of its running time, but rest assured, you fans of sappy family comedies should find plenty to like here. Just don’t expect Love the Coopers to break any new ground in telling its story. Better yet, check out the film’s trailer, and if that piques your interest, give it a whirl. There are certainly worse Christmas comedies to be found if you know where to look.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

Follow Robert Yaniz Jr. on Twitter @CrookedTable!

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