Four Christmases
His father, her mother, his mother and her father all in one day.
Country
Production
Budget
$80 000 000
Box office
$164 112 721
Director
Actors
Scenario
Jon Lucas, Scott Moore
Producer
Roger Birnbaum, Gary Barber, Vince Vaughn, Jonathan Glickman, Peter Billingsley, Toby Emmerich, Guy Riedel, Richard Brener, Derek Evans, Michael Disco
Camera operator
Composer
Alex Wurman
Artist
Shepherd Frankel
Audition
Juel Bestrop, Seth Yanklewitz
Editing
Short description
Brad and Kate have made something of an art form out of avoiding their families during the holidays, but this year their foolproof plan is about go bust -- big time. Stuck at the city airport after all departing flights are canceled, the couple is embarrassed to see their ruse exposed to the world by an overzealous television reporter. Now, Brad and Kate are left with precious little choice other than to swallow their pride and suffer the rounds.
What's left behind the scenes
- Seth Gordon, the director of 'Four Christmases' (2008), directed the famous documentary 'The King of Kong' in 2007. It told the story, in part, of Steve Wiebe, a two-time US champion in the arcade game 'Donkey Kong.' In 'Four Christmases' (2008), Wiebe appeared in the role of Jim.
- Vince Vaughn, who played the lead role, producer Peter Billingsley, and actor Jon Favreau have been friends for a long time. They had already worked together on various projects before the film "Four Christmases" (2008).
- After the gossip columns mentioned friction during filming between Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon, the actor categorically refused to participate in the film's promotional campaign.
- As director Seth Gordon stated, this film is about how difficult it is for a person to reconcile who they are with who they are expected to be. That is why spending Christmas with relatives is so challenging, and why celebrating the holiday is often nerve-wracking. Overall, Gordon simply believes that Christmas is wonderful material for a comedy.
- While working on the film, Seth Gordon drew on his own memories of celebrating Christmas with family—times when tension hung in the air, when his sister was constantly pestering him, and when everyone hoped someone else would invite their grandmother to Christmas dinner.
- In the comedy TV series "Friends" (1994-2004), Jon Favreau played Pete, a millionaire and friend of Monica. They broke up because Pete wanted to become a mixed martial arts champion. Favreau plays a mixed martial arts fighter in the movie "Four Christmases" (2008).
- Lead actor Vince Vaughn, producer Peter Billingsley (who appeared in a cameo), and actor Jon Favreau have been longtime friends. They had already worked together on various projects prior to the film "Four Christmases" (2008).
- While filming the dinner scene, Reese Witherspoon was hit in the face with a ceramic plate. The actress required five stitches, which delayed filming for three days.
- In the comedy television series "Friends" (1994-2004), Jon Favreau played Pete, a millionaire and Monica's boyfriend. They broke up because Pete wanted to become a champion in mixed martial arts. Favreau plays a mixed martial arts participant in the film "Four Christmases" (2008).
- To add depth to the characters, director Seth Gordon created detailed biographies for all the film's main protagonists.
- All the parents in the film are played by Oscar-winning actors who received the gold statuette for Best Actor or Best Actress. Robert Duvall for 'Tender Mercies' (1983), Sissy Spacek for 'Coal Miner's Daughter' (1980), Jon Voight for 'Coming Home' (1978), and Mary Steenburgen for 'Melvin and Howard' (1980).
- Many key episodes of the film were pure improvisation.
- Vernon Vaughn, father of actor Vince Vaughn, played a bit part as a churchgoer in the comedy 'Four Christmases' (2008), where his character sits to the right and behind Reese Witherspoon. Vernon Vaughn also appeared alongside his son in minor roles in the films 'Swingers' (1996), 'Christmas with the Kranks' (2001), and 'The Break-Up' (2006).
- The film's cast includes two country music performers (Dwight Yoakam and Tim McGraw) and three Oscar-winning actors who have portrayed country music performers on screen. These are Reese Witherspoon, who starred in James Mangold's 'Walk the Line' (2005), Robert Duvall, who appeared in Bruce Beresford's 'Tender Mercies' (1983), and Sissy Spacek, who starred in Michael Apted's 'Coal Miner's Daughter' (1980).
- Seth Gordon, the director of "Four Christmases" (2008), filmed the famous documentary "The King of Kong" in 2007. It featured, among other things, Steve Wiebe, a two-time US champion in the arcade game "Donkey Kong". In "Four Christmases" (2008), Wiebe played the role of Jim.
- Seth Gordon was chosen as the film's director at Vince Vaughn's insistence. The actor is a huge fan of the documentary "The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters," which Seth Gordon directed in 2007.
- Vince Vaughn, the lead actor, on the idea behind the film: "That’s what Christmas is all about—bringing together everyone you’re close to—good, bad, or ugly—remembering your roots and the need to love and forgive each other. And, of course, to celebrate the holiday properly."
- The plot of "Four Christmases" (2008) is one of three that Blake Snyder described in his book "Save the Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need," and the only one that has been made into a film. According to Blake, each of the screenplay templates he presents in the book "[would] fetch a six- or seven-figure fee."
- Work on the film began during the strike called by the Writers Guild of America in 2007-2008, so making any revisions to the script during filming was impossible.
- The Howard house in Shadow Hills, California, was built "from scratch." The roof beams were specially reinforced to support the weight of the actors and crew. Deceived by the house’s respectable and “lived-in” appearance, some crew members were very surprised to discover that it was completely empty inside. This greatly amused director Seth Gordon.
- During the filming of the dinner scene, Reese Witherspoon was hit in the face with a ceramic plate. The actress required five stitches. This delayed filming for 3 days.
- While working on the depth of the characters, director Seth Gordon created detailed biographies for all the main characters in the film.
- Upon hearing the question of why they didn't get married after dance lessons, Brad mentions Richard Connell's short story "The Most Dangerous Game" (1924). It tells the story of a wealthy Cossack who organizes a hunt for people on his island.
- After reports surfaced in the press about friction on set between Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon, the actor categorically refused to participate in the film's promotional campaign.
- Vince Vaughn, Jon Favreau, and Patrick Van Horn first met on the set after working on "Swingers" (1996).
- Vernon Vaughn, the father of actor Vince Vaughn, played an extra as a churchgoer in the comedy "Four Christmases" (2008), where his character sits to the right and behind Reese Witherspoon. Vernon Vaughn also appeared with his son in cameo roles in the films "Swingers" (1996), "Old School" (2001), and "Wedding Crashers" (2006).
- While working on the film, Seth Gordon drew on his own memories of celebrating Christmas with his family, when tension hung in the air, his sister constantly annoyed him, and everyone hoped someone else would invite Grandma to Christmas dinner.
- All those involved in the process, from the screenwriters to the director and actors, shared their memories of celebrating Christmas – some of which were depicted in the film, others were not.
- Lead actor Vince Vaughn on the idea of the film: "That is the whole point of Christmas—to bring all your loved ones together—whether they are good, bad, or evil—to remember your kinship and the need to love and forgive one another. And, of course, to celebrate the holiday properly."
- All the parents in the film are played by “Oscar-winning” actors who have received the golden statuette for Best Actor or Best Actress. Robert Duvall for "Tender Mercies" (1983), Sissy Spacek for "Coal Miner’s Daughter" (1980), Jon Voight for "Coming Home" (1978), and Mary Steenburgen for "Melvin and Howard" (1980).
- The film's cast includes two country music performers (Dwight Yoakam and Tim McGraw) and three actors who have won Oscars for portraying country music performers on screen. These are Reese Witherspoon, who starred in James Mangold's "Walk the Line" (2005), Robert Duvall, who appeared in Bruce Beresford's "Tender Mercies" (1983), and Sissy Spacek, who starred in Michael Apted's "Coal Miner's Daughter" (1980).
- Seth Gordon was chosen as the film's director at the insistence of Vince Vaughn. The actor is crazy about the documentary "King Kong," which Seth Gordon directed in 2007.
- Howard's house in Shadow Hills, California, was built from the ground up. The roof beams were specially reinforced to support the weight of the actors and the film crew. Fooled by the house's respectable and "lived-in" appearance, some crew members were extremely surprised to find that it was completely empty inside. This greatly amused director Seth Gordon.
- The plot of the film 'Four Christmases' (2008) is one of three that Blake Snyder described in his book 'Save the Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need,' and the only one that was actually filmed. According to Blake, each of the screenplay examples he provides in the book "[in terms of the fee for it] would command a six- or seven-figure sum."
- As director Seth Gordon stated, this film is about how difficult it is for a person to reconcile who they are with who they are expected to be. That’s why it’s so hard to spend Christmas with family, and why celebrating this holiday is fraught with stress. Overall, Gordon simply believes that Christmas is excellent material for a comedy.
- Vince Vaughn, Jon Favreau, and Patrick Van Horn reunited on set for the first time since working on the film 'Swingers' (1996).
Similar movies
8.8/10
8.7/10
8.4/10
8.3/10
8.2/10
8.2/10
8.1/10
8/10
8/10
8/10
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
