8/14/2014

Two Clips from One of Robin Williams' Final Performances in 'Merry Friggin' Christmas'


It has only been a few days since the shocking news of Robin Williams' death and understandably the world is still in mourning. Hollywood doesn't stand still for long, though, and unfortunately his passing will be used to promote the four movies he had already completed. Shameful yes, but it's to be expected. The first of those to hit theaters is Merry Friggin' Christmas, and if you guess it was another of those "edgy" holiday comedies then you get a lump of coal in the stocking.

Directed by TV helmer Tristram Shapeero (New Girl, Bored to Death), the film stars Joel McHale as Boyd, with Williams as his quirky estranged father. When Boyd is forced to bring his wife (Lauren Graham, who starred in Bad Santa) and son to spend the holidays with his estranged family, it goes as bad as he expected. But things get worse when Boyd realizes he left his son's gifts at home and he's forced to hit the road with his father to pick them up before sunrise.

Honestly, this movie didn't have a lot of buzz before Williams' passing and these two newly-released clips probably wouldn't have changed that. But these are just small bits of footage focused on Williams and, at least in the scene with his character's grandson it's a poignant reminder of how he could dial that energy back when called up. With Phil Johnston (Wreck-It-Ralph, Cedar Rapids) having written the screenplay there could be more here than these clips suggests.

Starring Wendi McLendon Covey-, Clark Duke, Candice Bergen, Jeffrey Tambor, and Oliver Platt, Merry Friggin' Christmas opens November 7th.