Movies like Friendsgiving are frustrating because it’s easy to see squandered potential seeping out of the corners, desperately trying to suck air. The ideas are there, that’s clear to see, but that they never even approach full fruition becomes more frustrating as the film drags on. It’s as if writer and director Nicol Paone developed the openings for a dozen or so decent plot elements and comedic bits, then patted herself on the back and never got around to finishing them. With more thought put towards smarts, wit, and coherency, I’d happily compare Friendsgiving to modern comedy greats like Bridesmaids (2011) or Frances Ha (2012), but, unfortunately, I’m forced instead into comparisons to beaten-horses like the American Pie franchise.
As noted, the premise is fine. A small Thanksgiving gathering of friends turns into a fracas as uninvited guests, exes, and an assortment of misfits and eccentrics arrive for the shindig. The host, a B-movie star named Molly (Malin Åkerman) – along with her recently dumped best friend Abby (Kat Dennings) – navigate the ever-increasing insanity while battling overbearing mothers (Jane Seymour), vapid partygoers, shrooms, and under-dressed boyfriends (Jack Donnelly). Relationships are tested, children are neglected (yep), and hallucinations are had all before everyone finds themselves and are better for it.
The problem is that none of it works. Characters drift in and out of importance while seemingly major plot elements are introduced and abandoned at will. The film’s third act resolution is tedious at best, and borders on pointless at worst. I’m fine with ambiguous endings if they make sense or resonate in ways that elicit lingering thought, but Friendsgiving simply walks away from itself without any consideration towards satisfaction or closure. Nevermind that we’re never given much to make us want to care about what happens to these characters in the first place.
What does work is aggravatingly wasted and treated as an afterthought. In an under-used but clever bit of stylistic flair, Paone hints at a serviceable motif when she takes a page from the Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010) playbook by having Abby’s potential new mates rattle off what sounds like insipid internet dating profile clichés. If I had it my way, Friendsgiving would not have focused on Molly and her boring, privileged woes, but instead on Abby and her attempts at picking up the pieces after getting out of a bad relationship. Abby and her plight are not only much more interesting, but full of possibilities for exploring all kinds of emotional and comedic avenues, not to mention LGBTQ issues.
James is a writer, skateboarder, record collector, wrestling nerd, and tabletop gamer living with his family in Asheville, North Carolina. He is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association, the North Carolina Film Critics Association, and contributes to The Daily Orca, Razorcake Magazine, Mountain Xpress, and Asheville Movies.