Kate (Alicia Silverstone) and Everett Holden (Oliver Hudson) are a mess. Initially, Kate gets swept off her feet by her first love while studying to be an architect at college. She falls harder than she ever has for the brilliant doctor, Everett. They get married and have two kids: one is Gabrielle, or Gabe Holden (Wilder Hudson), and the other is Sienna (Emily Hall). Sienna is studying at Oxford, and Gabe is graduating from high school. 

Kate feels that her soon-to-be-divorced husband cares more about his medical practice than she does, as she reminisces on all the big dreams she left behind. She is an environmentalist who dreams of creating sustainable buildings yet is stuck working as a handyman. Her husband stopped trying to take time off work and began finding her sustainability habits, like composting and buying second-hand clothes, frustrating, and just wants his indoor grill. Therefore, they opt for “consciously uncoupling” or divorce.

What makes “A Merry Little Ex-mas” great is the side characters. The two main side characters Tess (Jameela Jamil) and Chet Moore (Pierson Fode) add comedy to every scene they are in. At an awkward family dinner, Kate finds out Everette already has a new girlfriend, and her whole family knows. At the hardware store run by Everett’s two gay dads, Kate meets Tess and is mortified. Kate feels Tess is better in every single way– she runs a business, wears fancy clothes, and the kids are bonding with her more. When Kate gets hit on by a significantly younger man named Chet, she gives in to make her ex-husband jealous. The last side character I want to give a shoutout to is Nigel (Timothy Innes), Siena’s boyfriend, whom she met in London. He is a quirky Harry Potter expert (yes, that is a career) and finds himself saying the wrong things at the wrong time, adding laughter to every scene he is in. 

This movie recently aired on Netflix on Nov. 12 and is getting higher ratings every day. In addition to the entertaining plot of this film, I found it interesting that Oliver Hudson, who plays Everett, is the father of actor Gabe in real life. Also, the protagonist, Kate (Silverstone), is a very accomplished actress, starring in many hit films, including playing Cher in Clueless. These actors really pull the movie together, making it a terrific must-watch Christmas romantic comedy.