Director: Adam Volerich
Writer: Leo Winters
Stars: Jefferson White, Shawn Christensen, Siobhan Fallon Hogan
Synopsis: At a struggling New York dive bar in the days leading up to Christmas 2019, Chet, a beleaguered bartender in a state of extended arrested development, must balance caring for his misanthropic, aging regulars – who have nowhere else to go, and rely on him for far more than pouring drinks – with his naive desires to muster some Christmas spirit.
Drink and Be Merry arrives just in time for the season when sentimentality flows as freely as cheap mulled wine. The film roots itself in a dingy New York dive bar, a place where the tinsel looks a bit tired, the lights flicker, and it lacks holiday cheer. So Drink and Be Merry is one for those more cynical Christmas viewers, wanting a little more true grit on their festive screens.
Drink and Be Merry sets its story in the final days before Christmas 2019, and follows Chet, a bartender who seems to be living in a holding pattern he can’t quite name. Played by Jefferson White (Yellowstone), Chet is earnest, well-meaning, and perpetually exhausted, and White brings warmth to the role and is the reason to keep watching.
Chet’s bar is populated by an assortment of aging, misanthropic regulars who treat the place as something between a sanctuary and a personal dumping ground. These are not the lovable eccentrics of a traditional holiday comedy; they’re cranky and occasionally intolerable, but there’s something you like about them. Very early on, there is a section where some women come into the bar, and the men all look confused, and there’s a pause. Chet then doesn’t have the ingredients for a cocktail, so Vodka Sodas it is. Reaffirming this is a bog-standard dive bar. Subtle and great storytelling. This is where you get a glimpse into the subtle humor throughout.
The characters are naturally funny in the way everyday people often are: unintentionally, or simply out of sheer human absurdity. Chet’s attempts to summon even a flicker of Christmas spirit are met with blank stares, insults, and plain refusals. The regulars aren’t interested in transformation; they’re just trying to get through the season in one piece. Siobhan Fallon Hogan, Delaney Williams, Brian Anthony Wilson, and Shawn Christensen round out the ensemble with performances that lean into the characters’ abrasiveness while revealing small, surprising wells of vulnerability. Everyone has believable chemistry; you’ll feel as if these men have been at this bar for years, basically part of the crappy furniture.
The film’s central tension lies in Chet’s growing awareness that his bar is on the brink of closing, and to his punters, he’s not just their bartender. He’s their sounding board, caretaker, reluctant therapist, and in some cases, their only consistent point of human contact. The weight of that responsibility presses on him as Christmas approaches, and there seems to be no way out. Jefferson White delivers a fantastic performance, blending vulnerability and strength and soaking up every moment on screen.
Visually, Drink and Be Merry embraces the cramped intimacy of the bar. The entire film takes place mainly in this one setting, which is pretty impressive. The only other setting is a small bedroom/apartment. The claustrophobic settings keep the focus on the characters, who are constantly bumping up against each other both physically and emotionally. Despite the cold dispositions of everyone in the bar, the bright lights and Christmas music build a festive vibe. The colors have a very warm tone to them – it’s a bar that’s inviting, despite only one or two customers being in it at one time.
If the film falters anywhere, it’s in its occasional hesitance to push deeper into the messiest corners of its characters’ lives. There are hints at darker histories and unresolved grief that sometimes feel skimmed over. And it’s a simple story, easy to follow, and keeps a solid pace throughout. Viewers might find the film slow, lacking in action, and needing more conflict for a memorable and meaningful resolution.
Drink and Be Merry lands somewhere between melancholy and hope. After Christmas, in his bar, Chet sees a future going back to acting classes and a world beyond the responsibilities he’s burdened himself with. But a regular in the bar isn’t in his usual spot. Looking around an empty bar, still covered in Christmas lights, Chet’s reflective on what is next for him and his life. In its modest way, the film captures something true about the season: that sometimes the best we can do is gather in a place that feels familiar, raise a glass, and make it through together.
