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Keith Staskiewicz, Entertainment Weekly: Swanberg's naturalistic, improvised style lets the conflict come about organically, repeatedly putting the characters in situations to which they could react with cliches but instead go with something more empathetic and nuanced. Read more
Farran Smith Nehme, New York Post: When a 2-year-old walks off with a film, it's a sign the adults could have used some higher stakes. Read more
Rex Reed, New York Observer: Mr. Swanberg is not a total amateur, but he is called "a doodler" for obvious reasons, all of them on red alert here. Read more
Peter Debruge, Variety: Another half-formed feature from indie cinema's most prolific doodler, "Happy Christmas" demonstrates that Joe Swanberg makes better babies than movies. Read more
Mike D'Angelo, AV Club: Nobody involved ever came up with an idea or character remotely worth exploring, yet they all forged ahead anyway, placing their faith in the filmmaking process itself, and this damp squib of an ostensible movie is the decidedly lackluster result. Read more
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: It's not always pretty, and it's not always exciting, but you genuinely don't know from one moment to the next how these characters will behave. Read more
Ben Sachs, Chicago Reader: [Swanberg's] stance toward his characters seems to be maturing from shrugging acceptance into active sympathy, and his editing is getting sharper as wel Read more
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: "Happy Christmas" leans hard on the ensemble's exploratory attempts at ad hoc dialogue, so that you find yourself providing alternative snatches of banter in your head, just to speed things up a little. Read more
Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor: I suppose it's because his father in this movie is played by his father, but I've never seen a better performance -- or whatever you want to call it -- from a two-year-old. Read more
Justin Lowe, Hollywood Reporter: A dedicated focus on character development pays off with ample humor. Read more
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: All in all, "Happy Christmas" is a good deal like cartoon Charlie Brown's classic tree - scraggly, plenty of heart and much to enjoy, especially if you prefer your presents homemade. Read more
Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger: The script doesn't just leave things unsaid but unnoticed, and the film's conclusion isn't much more than a half-hearted well, yeah, whatever. Read more
Tomas Hachard, NPR: Unfortunately, Happy Christmas's characters and conflicts are generic compared to Drinking Buddies. Read more
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: "Happy Christmas" is a lovely example of an undeniably valuable genre. Read more
Stephen Holden, New York Times: A quiet, serious comedy about marriage, parenthood and the everyday strains of bringing up a rambunctious toddler while struggling to sustain a creative life. Read more
Michael Sragow, Orange County Register: Happy Christmas is a jaunty domestic dramedy that covers some of the same territory as Neighbors under one roof, with characters who are smart, funny, endearing and unpredictable rather than boorish and silly. Read more
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: Happy Christmas examines, in its shambling way, the challenges facing dual-career couples as they become parents. Read more
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle: A slightly above average example of a kind of movie - and of a trend within movies - that needs to be encouraged. Read more
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune: This semi-improvised indie accomplishes its modest goal, which is to explore the way a vexing relationship between in-laws can yield unexpected personal growth and warm bonds of affection. Read more
Keith Uhlich, Time Out: Swanberg is good at futzing with our moment-to-moment expectations, but he can't shape all these well-acted scenes into a satisfying whole. Read more
Claudia Puig, USA Today: A gently funny ensemble comedy that feels less like a movie than a short story. Read more
Alan Scherstuhl, Village Voice: The movie is packed with minor incidents, all fresh, compelling, and funny. Read more
Jen Chaney, Washington Post: If the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences decides to add an Oscar category called Best Performance by a Toddler in an Indie Film Directed by His Own Father, Jude Swanberg would easily smoke any precocious competition. Read more