Directed by: Paul Feig
Written by: Jacob Meszaros, Mya Stark
Produced by: Michael Aguilar, Lauren Shuler Donner
Genre: Comedy
Running time: 1h 30min
Kristen Wiig as: Carole Malone
Other cast: Dyllan Christopher, Tyler James Williams, Gia Mantegna
A handful of kids stranded without their parents is determined to make the most of a bad situation in this comedy. It’s Christmas Eve, and Oliver Porter, the passenger relations manager at a busy airport in the Midwest, is looking forward to spending Christmas in Hawaii with his wife after 15 years in a row working on the busy Yuletide holiday. However, fate conspires against him when a massive snowstorm sweeps in and all flights are canceled. Porter suddenly has to deal with a number of stranded passengers, including six tween-age kids who are each flying unaccompanied from one divorced parent to another – spoiled little rich girl Grace, geeky but likable Spencer, his pesky little sister Katy, plus-size comic book fan Beef, grumpy tomboy Donna, and bright but mischievous Charlie. With his hands full and determined to make his way to the islands, Porter puts his assistant Zach Van Bourke in charge of the kids. Zach doesn’t care for this assignment and the kids don’t care for him, and before long they’ve escaped from the basement conference room where he’s stashed them and turned the airport into their playground.
Movie Quotes
Donna: Mom, I’m eleven! I’ll look like a loser getting my picture with Santa.
Carole: You’ll look like someone who’s grounded if you don’t. Now, go sit on Santa’s lap!
Production Notes
This was the first feature film role for Kristen Wiig. When talking about the project, director Paul Feig said “I cast her in her first movie, in the smallest role ever. Which was a crime.” He continues: “I felt that I want this woman to be exploded upon the world in the way that she should be. She’s been in so much great stuff in so many great supporting roles.” Not only Feig took notice of Kristen, “Judd Apatow saw this too, as he did Knocked Up with her, so he said ‘you should write your own thing, I’ll produce it’.” It really came full-circle as Paul Feig directed Kristen in her breakout movie Bridesmaids.
