Nutcrackers on Hulu: Ben Stiller’s heartwarming holiday comeback
By Ed Malaker
Nutcrackers is a new Hulu original Christmas comedy-drama from director David Gordon Green. It features Ben Stiller in his first leading role in seven years, and it started streaming on November 29. Let’s take a look at some of the highlights and reasons you need to check it out.
Plot Summary
The story follows Mike Maxwell (Ben Stiller), a workaholic from Chicago, who travels to rural Ohio after his sister’s untimely death leaves her four sons orphaned. Intending to arrange their foster care quickly, Mike finds himself staying longer as he becomes entangled in the boys’ lives. However, he is unfamiliar with parenting and faces challenges trying to manage their energetic and troublesome behavior while also dealing with the responsibilities of the family farm.
The story explores themes of family, responsibility, and personal growth, which lead to plenty of funny and heartfelt moments throughout. Besides Ben Stiller, some of the notable cast members include Linda Cardellini as Gretchen, a local who becomes a significant figure in Mike’s new life, and Homer, Ulysses, Atlas, and Arlo Janson, the real-life brothers portraying Mike’s nephews. A significant subplot involves the boys’ passion for ballet, which is a reflection of their real-life passion and training.
Production notes
Nutcrackers does a great job of capturing the rustic charm of Ohio’s countryside, and the interactions between the real-life brothers that helped them get cast are a highlight of the movie, adding an authentic family dynamic that makes the film all the more relatable.
It features a musical score composed by Aaron M. Fernandez Olson that helps bring out the emotions in many of the scenes and does a nice job of getting you in the holiday spirit.
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Reviews
While this movie didn’t get as great of reviews as many of Ben Stiller’s other movies, it shows that he is growing as an actor and willing to take on new challenges. The annoying children, being away from home, and dealing with sudden family loss during the holidays all work together to create a movie that feels real.
It offers a heartwarming a heartwarming exploration of unexpected family bonds and personal transformation. While it may not be as funny as Meet the Fockers there are still plenty of laughs, especially if you have children, and it feels like a holiday movie.
If you are looking for a way to kick off the holiday season with a movie you haven’t seen before, Nutcrackers is a great option that is streaming on Hulu right now.
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