Geeks logo

Why We Should Be More Forgiving of Harper in 'Happiest Season'

I get that Abby deserved Riley, but we need to admit that Harper isn't a monster

By Jenika EnochPublished 3 years ago 5 min read
1
'Happiest Season' [Sony Pictures/Hulu]

If you're like me and pretty much every other member of the LGBTQ+ community, you were ecstatic about Happiest Season hitting Hulu. The film directed by queer actress/director Clea DuVall dropped on Hulu this past week, and already, viewers have a lot to say about the Christmas-themed romantic comedy. Not only is it the first major Christmas release to feature a same-sex couple, but it also amps up LGBTQ+ representation by featuring queer actors. Aside from this, the story itself has gained quite the response from viewers.

This article contains spoilers for 'Happiest Season.' You can find the film streaming exclusively on Hulu.

The film follows Abby (Kristen Stewart) and Harper (Mackenzie Davis) as they venture out of Pittsburgh to visit Harper's family for Christmas. The major plot twist is despite being together for a year, Harper hasn't told her family about Abby or their relationship. In fact, she hasn't even come out to her family! This comes to Abby's surprise as she is essentially trapped into pretending to be Harper's parentless roommate so her family doesn't find out their daughter is a lesbian.

The plot, the cast, and the groundbreaking representation lured us in, but it has become apparent that viewers weren't quite prepared to handle Harper. Aside from "shipping" Abby and Harper's ex-girlfriend Riley (because obviously), Harper's behavior and actions against her own girlfriend have set a lot of people off. You no doubt know what moment I am referring to when I say we all pretty much wanted to jump through our screens and shake Harper. Reactions to Harper denying her and Abby's relationship in front of an entire Christmas party include stating that Harper doesn't deserve Abby, that Abby should have left with Riley (or left period), and that Harper doesn't deserve anyone's love after behaving like that.

I completely understand these reactions. I can't deny that I reacted a certain way initially when I watched the movie with my girlfriend. While I might agree that what Harper ultimately does to Abby is horrific, I think we all have to think about a few things before being too harsh.

'Happiest Season' [Sony Pictures/Hulu]

As much as we hate it, we need to be more compassionate towards Harper

Let's face it - there are a lot of Harper's out there. Within the LGBTQ+ community, a lot of us have been forced to live a lie at one point or another. Whether we felt like we couldn't come out, felt unsafe, faced societal judgement, etc., there are a lot of reasons to stay in the closet. In Harper's case, feeling pressure from her family and thinking her being out would be embarrassing fueled her fear. The unfortunate part is by hiding who she was, she also has to hide the woman she loves.

While the knee-jerk reaction is judgment and anger, it would be wise for us to remember Dan Levy's dialogue. What he said is true - coming out is terrifying. Not everyone has supportive family and friends. Not everyone has a supportive community or lives in an area where it's safe to be gay. While we can argue that Harper had nothing to worry about in the end because her family accepts her and Abby, that doesn't take away the fact that she felt the way she did. That doesn't suddenly fix that Harper had so much anxiety and was completely terrified to be herself, despite having a loving partner supporting her.

I'm not excusing Harper's actions, but a lot of us who have faced situations similar to Harper have a strong "fight or flight" reaction. When you feel threatened, you avoid the situation at all costs to protect yourself. Fear takes over and you (unfortunately) do things that might not be the best decision. Your logical brain isn't in control at that moment and it's okay to forgive someone for that. To basically re-traumatize someone after they hurt someone with a trauma response doesn't make anything better.

We also can't forget 'Happiest Season' is semi-autobiographical

After seeing the reactions to this movie and to Harper, I just imagine how much worse some of the "Harper's" out there have gotten overnight. The existing trauma could have become deeper and their coming out anxiety might have spiked even higher than ever - especially just before the holiday season. After all, if people are saying these things about a movie character, what would they say to someone in real life?

Well, people do have these experiences in real life. We know this because director Clea DuVall has made it known that this movie is autobiographical for her. She and co-writer Mary Holland wrote Happiest Season so DuVall could see events that have played out in her own life as a once-closeted lesbian play out on the big screen. DuVall even went farther and shined a light on why Harper's coming out story was shown the way it was and it has a lot to do with trauma responses. DuVall said:

"I wrote this speech about coming out because I was thinking about how we can have compassion for Harper in that moment. She does do something that is pretty bad and I can see why an audience would be upset with her, but it’s also about wanting to have compassion for people who are going through that. Coming out is so different for everybody. For some people, it’s super easy and I think that’s great for them, but for a lot of people, it’s really not."

No one deserves to be outed the way Harper was, nor should anyone be forced into the situation she and Abby were. You shouldn't have to deny your sexuality to anyone, especially yourself, but we have to remind ourselves that not everyone immediately has that luxury. Just like people shouldn't have to deny themselves, they shouldn't have to be ridiculed and shamed for the fact that they aren't ready to come out yet.

A little compassion goes a very long way. I think after all is said and done, Happiest Season is a lot more than a cute Christmas rom-com. It is a big lesson in compassion and humanity and we need to remember that as a community. Be kind to each other, guys.

'Happiest Season' [Sony Pictures/Hulu]

review
1

About the Creator

Jenika Enoch

I love movies, music, sci-fi, and art. I'm a certified graphic designer and create my own art. Things that fuel me include equality, respect, and anything weird.

Reader insights

Be the first to share your insights about this piece.

How does it work?

Add your insights

Comments

There are no comments for this story

Be the first to respond and start the conversation.

Sign in to comment

    Find us on social media

    Miscellaneous links

    • Explore
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Support

    © 2024 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.