Holiday movies are usually a dime a dozen, but every once in a while, a studio throws an absolute mountain of talent at a script just to see if it sticks. That’s basically what happened back in 2015. You’ve probably seen the poster while scrolling through Netflix or Amazon Prime in December—a massive dinner table crowded with faces you recognize from much better movies. The cast of Love the Coopers is, honestly, kind of ridiculous when you look at it on paper.
We’re talking about four Oscar winners, several Emmy darlings, and a few "it" kids of the 2010s all crammed into one snowy Pittsburgh house. Most critics weren't exactly kind to the film, calling it a messy blend of Love Actually and The Family Stone. But if you ignore the weird narration by a dog (voiced by Steve Martin, because why not?), the actual acting is surprisingly grounded. It’s a movie about miserable people trying to pretend they aren't miserable for the sake of a ham dinner. And let’s be real, we’ve all been there.
The Heavy Hitters: Diane Keaton and John Goodman
At the center of the chaos are Sam and Charlotte Cooper, played by John Goodman and Diane Keaton. Honestly, if you can’t make a movie work with these two, you might be in trouble. Keaton does her usual "flustered but elegant" thing that she’s perfected since the 70s. She plays the matriarch who is desperate for one "perfect" Christmas before she and Sam announce they are getting a divorce after 40 years.
Goodman is interesting here. He’s Sam. He’s quieter than you’d expect. He’s not doing the Big Lebowski or Roseanne energy. He’s playing a man who is tired. He wants to go to Africa; he wants his wife to love him again; he wants to stop pretending. Their chemistry isn't exactly romantic—it’s more like two people who have shared a bathroom for four decades and have run out of things to say. It feels authentic. It feels like a long-term marriage that has just... run out of gas.
The Supporting Players Who Stole the Show
While the parents are the anchor, the cast of Love the Coopers really leans on the subplots.
Take Olivia Wilde. She plays Eleanor, the daughter who is so terrified of her mother’s judgment that she hangs out in an airport bar to avoid going home. While there, she meets Joe, played by Jake Lacy. If you recognize Lacy, it’s probably because he’s the king of playing the "nice guy who might be a jerk" (see: The White Lotus). Here, he’s a soldier stuck at the airport. Their banter is probably the most "movie-like" part of the film. It’s snappy. It’s cynical.
Then there’s Ed Helms. He plays Hank, a father of three dealing with a recent divorce and a job loss. Helms is usually the "funny guy," but he’s remarkably sad in this. It’s a bit of a bummer, frankly. But it adds a layer of reality that most Christmas movies skip. Life doesn't stop being hard just because it’s December 25th.
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Alan Arkin and Amanda Seyfried’s Strange Bond
One of the more polarizing parts of the film involves Bucky (Alan Arkin) and Ruby (Amanda Seyfried). Bucky is the grandfather, a retired professor who spends every morning at a local diner just to talk to Ruby, a young waitress who is clearly struggling.
- Alan Arkin: Brings that dry, caustic wit he’s famous for.
- The Dynamic: It’s not a romance, but it’s a deep, platonic love between a man at the end of his life and a girl who hasn't really started hers.
- The Conflict: Ruby is leaving town because she’s unhappy, and Bucky is heartbroken because she’s the only person who actually "sees" him.
It’s a weirdly beautiful subplot. Arkin has this way of saying lines that make you want to laugh and cry at the same time.
Marisa Tomei and the Shoplifting Incident
You can’t talk about the cast of Love the Coopers without mentioning Marisa Tomei. She plays Emma, Charlotte’s sister. Emma has a massive chip on her shoulder. She feels like the "failure" sibling. This leads her to shoplift a pair of earrings, get arrested, and spend most of the movie in the back of a police car with Officer Williams, played by Anthony Mackie.
Mackie and Tomei in a car together for forty minutes? That’s a movie on its own. They have this deep, philosophical conversation about why people do the things they do. It’s a bit heavy-handed, sure, but Tomei is so good at being vulnerable that you kind of forget how ridiculous the setup is. She’s an Oscar winner for a reason. She can find the humanity in a character who is literally shoving jewelry into her mouth to hide it from a security guard.
Why the Critics Hated It (and Why You Might Not)
The movie sits at a pretty low rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Why? Mostly because it tries to do too much. With a cast this big, everyone gets about 15 minutes of screen time. It’s hard to get deeply invested in seven different storylines while a dog narrates the history of the family.
But here’s the thing: real families are messy. They are disjointed. They have people who don't want to be there and people who are trying too hard. If you look at the cast of Love the Coopers as a collection of vignettes rather than one cohesive plot, it works much better.
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The performances are subtle. Even June Squibb—who plays the forgetful Aunt Fishy—brings a certain levity that balances out the depression of the other characters. It’s a "vibe" movie. You watch it for the snow-covered streets of Pittsburgh and the cozy kitchen lighting, but you stay because the actors are actually trying. They aren't phoning it in for a holiday paycheck.
Behind the Scenes: Making the Magic Happen
Directed by Jessie Nelson (who did I Am Sam), the film was shot on location in Pennsylvania. The cold you see on screen? That was real. The cast has mentioned in various interviews that the filming process felt a bit like a real family gathering because they were all stuck in the same locations for weeks.
Key Locations Used:
- Pittsburgh International Airport: Where the Olivia Wilde and Jake Lacy scenes take place.
- Butler, Pennsylvania: Many of the neighborhood shots.
- The Diner: A real spot where Arkin and Seyfried spent hours filming their quiet conversations.
The cinematography by Elliot Davis gives everything a warm, amber glow. It’s meant to look like a Christmas card, which stands in direct contrast to the fact that almost every character is having a nervous breakdown. That juxtaposition is clearly intentional.
The Legacy of Love the Coopers
Does it rank up there with It’s a Wonderful Life? No. Probably not. But it has become a bit of a cult favorite for people who are tired of the "perfect" Hallmark Christmas. It’s for the people who know that holidays can be lonely.
When you see the cast of Love the Coopers all together in that final hospital scene—spoiler alert, someone has a health scare because it’s a movie—you realize the film’s message. It’s not about being happy. It’s about being together when you’re not happy.
There’s a specific scene where the power goes out, and they all just have to sit in the dark. No phones, no distractions, no dinner. Just them. That’s the moment the movie finally breathes. You see the talent of these actors shine through when there’s no script fluff to hide behind.
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How to Actually Enjoy the Movie This Year
If you're planning to revisit this one, don't go in expecting a rom-com. It’s a dramedy. It’s heavy on the "drama" part.
- Watch the background actors: The movie is packed with small cameos and great character actors who fill out the world.
- Listen to the soundtrack: It’s actually fantastic, featuring Robert Plant and Alison Krauss.
- Focus on the Arkin/Seyfried scenes: They are arguably the heart of the film and carry the most emotional weight.
If you want to see these actors in other roles, check out Diane Keaton in Manhattan, John Goodman in 10 Cloverfield Lane, or Marisa Tomei in The Wrestler. It’s wild to think all that prestige ended up in a movie about a dog named Rags. But hey, that’s the magic of Hollywood.
The best way to experience this story is to stop looking for a "perfect" plot and just enjoy the masterclass in acting provided by some of the best in the business. Sometimes, a great cast is enough to save a mediocre script. In this case, they almost did.
Next Steps for Your Movie Night
To get the most out of your viewing, look for the subtle callbacks in the dialogue between Sam and Charlotte; their history is told in what they don't say rather than what they do. You should also check out the official soundtrack on Spotify, as the folk-heavy influence really sets the tone for the snowy Pennsylvania backdrop. If you're interested in more dysfunctional family dynamics, queue up The Family Stone or August: Osage County right after for a full "stress-mas" marathon.