Trailer Overview
The trailer for Breakup Season starts off with one shot after another of an Oregon town covered in snow, accompanied by the For What it’s Worth. We see Ben (Chandler Riggs) with an anxious grin, trying to practice introducing Cassie (Samantha Isler) to his family and times are tense. The mood is lighthearted but equally heavy as disaster strikes their merry Christmas fantasy. With one captivating moment after the other, incomplete dinners, sleepless nights, and diffused grievances, the situation promises to take a toll as ‘the couple will have to learn to compromise’. Also included are comic scenes such as Ben’s very nontraditional father (James Urbaniak) trying to negotiate a “post-breakup holidays ceasefire”. The pointer reaches the peak as Cassie has a restrained look on her face as she helps decorate the Christmas tree while Ben looks on, bewilderedly.
Cast Highlights
- Chandler Riggs (The Walking Dead) as Ben: A struggling young man trying to balance personal aspirations with familial expectations.
- Samantha Isler (Captain Fantastic) as Cassie: Ben’s ambitious girlfriend, caught between her professional dreams and the pressures of a serious relationship.
- James Urbaniak (Difficult People) as Kirby: Ben’s quirky and well-meaning father, who lightens tense moments with offbeat humor.
- Brook Hogan as Mia: Ben’s loving but critical mother, who holds the family together during crises.
- Carly Stewart as Liz: Ben’s rebellious sister, who bonds unexpectedly with Cassie.
- Jacob Wysocki (Terri) as Gordon: Ben’s aloof older brother, whose cynical advice provides an unexpected source of clarity.
Synopsis
Ben and Cassie are the type of couple who seem perfect for each other, but things take a turn when they decide to spend the holidays at Ben’s family home in rural Oregon. To begin with, it looks like a perfectly normal opportunity to build their relationship; right after that, there is a series of communication lapses, unfulfilled expectations, and suppressed feelings. It is tough for Cassie to deal with the family’s close-knit bonds, and for Ben, the pressure to not disappoint the family makes his life challenging. After some time, following an intense quarrel, Ben tries hard to convince her, but Cassie admits that the relationship has run its course—is it viable to continue in these relations? She contemplates all this while a snowstorm hits the area.
With Ben’s family, notably his mother, staying with them, Cassie easily develops a connection with the man she believed she knew while building a bond with his family members. Ben and Cassie’s feud eases and they develop a better understanding of the other’s stance and argue that if their love is significant enough to persevere or move on and start anew. Breakup Season has a perfect combination of sobs and laughs and the introspection is magnificent along with the aesthetics of a wintery snowy Christmas.
Themes and Style
Breakup Season is a contemporary holiday story which covers the difficulties of love: love, communication and the intricacies involved in the whole relationship with the immediate family. It is notable that viewers who love the Family Stone or even 500 Days of Summer would appreciate the same love sore for this film.
