This documentary is nearly twenty years old now, and it follows a gay couple as they navigate the stressful and exciting journey of their first pregnancy through surrogacy. You get to see it all— the hope, the nerves, and the dramatic hurdles they have to clear along the way. Back in the day, this was probably a massive deal, but since I’ve known a few gay couples who’ve gone through this exact process, some parts felt a bit dated to me. I liked bits and pieces of it, but I also felt like the film stays pretty surface-level. It doesn't really dive into the deep, complicated reality of life after the baby actually arrives. If only raising a kid were actually as simple as this movie makes it look! Erik and Mark have been together in New York for ten years, and since they feel solid in their relationship, they decide they’re ready to raise a child. They start the hunt for a surrogate and eventually connect with Wen, a wife and mom from Maine who agrees to carry the baby for a standard...
The time for Christmas again and the entire Mitchell family decides to celebrate Christmas together. TV star Mike has been seeing Andy for a while now, and Brandon along with his husband Jake now has 2 kids. All is good till Mike is asked to participate in a celebrity home decorating reality TV show 'Deck Those Halls'. After some convincing from everyone else, Mike is excited to share the famed Christmas House with the world. When Mike’s opponent in the competition drops out at the last minute, Brandon is tasked with rivaling to make for an epic, brother versus brother Christmas decorating showdown. Of course there is usual tussle and anger and fight when this competition goes down, but at the heart of it, this will bring more love and joy the family. Mike has to figure out a right time to propose to Andy, but things get complicated when her ex-husband shows up. Thankfully with Andy's son Noah's help. Things are back on track. The mom and dad play a more supporting part here compared to the original and here the focus is more eon both brothers.
Most scenes in this film bring a smile to your face. The pandemic is still upon us and few of us are home alone for holidays, so this definitely brings a cheer to our life. Both Mike and Brandon are excellent in their lead roles and bring that's sense of competitiveness from their childhood. But at the same time, they also share some emotional moments which is the key to films like these. I also enjoyed the fact that there were no unnecessary new characters added just for the sake of it. The film puts very real family issues at the forefront while simultaneously recapturing all the holiday fun from the first film. We see why Brandon is so driven to beat his brother and how he fears everyone , including his own kids would prefer Mike over him. And meanwhile, Mike is struggling to propose and start a new life with Andi. As in the original movie, the gay couple retreated with same dignity and respect without making any deal out of it, and this is one part I absolutely love and commend the makers. We have seen many coming out stories where it is about sexuality. It is time we normalize things.
I actually hope we have further sequels of the film. It keeps the holiday spirit alive, keeps the fun of the original one intact and brings a smile to my face. What more can I ask. (7/10)
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