Happiest Season: parents' guide
Best for ages 13 and up. Rated PG-13 for some language.
A warm, funny holiday romantic comedy best for teens around 13 and up with a parent. Abby joins her girlfriend Harper for Christmas, only to learn Harper has not come out to her image-conscious family and wants them to pose as roommates. Expect frequent kissing, an implied night together followed by a morning scene in underwear, a bondage-gear sight gag, a rare f-word, several s-words and lots of social drinking. A sibling rivalry turns into a physical fight, and one character is outed by her sister in front of party guests in a painful scene. The film's message about honesty and acceptance is strong and worth discussing.
What's in it
Violence
MildTwo adult sisters' rivalry turns physical in one comic but heated fight: they wrestle, slam each other into walls and knock over the Christmas tree. Elsewhere, Abby tumbles off a roof and a box of bottles shatters.
Language
ModerateThe UK's BBFC lists infrequent use of the f-word, though US guides don't mention it. Also several s-words, a few uses of 'hell' and 'damn,' and God's and Jesus' names misused around five times.
Sex and nudity
ModerateThe couple kisses and makes out often. One night of sex happens off screen, and they scramble out of bed in underwear the next morning. Other gags involve holiday-themed bondage gear with handcuffs and a whip, a penis joke and drag-show innuendo.
Drinking, drugs and smoking
ModerateFrequent drinking at parties, bars, dinners and a gay club, including beer and shots, and the two leads get tipsy. Characters joke about needing alcohol to cope, and one recalls doing things she cannot remember after too much Ambien.
Scary or intense scenes
MildNothing scary, but the emotional stakes are high: a coming-out is forced into the open in front of family and guests, and characters wrestle with real fear of their parents' rejection.
Worth talking about
Harper hides who she is because she fears her parents' disapproval; talk about why coming out should be a person's own choice, and how families can make honesty feel safe.
On our lists
Similar picks around 13+
Checked October 24th, 2026 against Common Sense Media, Plugged In, the-numbers.com, Wikipedia, bbfc.co.uk, movieguide.org. The age is our judgment, not an official rating, and every family draws its lines differently: read the notes, not just the number. Spotted something we missed? Tell us. How we rate.