The comedy veteran is wasted as a grandad hosting Christmas early to keep his family from falling apart

Well-meaning parents Abbie (Lucy DeVito) and Jacob (Wilmer Valderrama) are planning to separate, and having consulted their therapist, decide the best way to break the news to their 10-year-old daughter is to have grandad Lawrence (Danny DeVito) do it for them, at his idyllic Dolomites resort. It doesn’t take Lawrence long to realise the kid is way ahead of them. “Did you notice any changes in your dad?” he asks. “Did he start weightlifting? Did he always wear jeans? Did he have perfect hair?”

The upshot – naturally – is that everyone agrees to stage Christmas in August. As far as the parents know, it’s a stunt for the benefit of their daughter: to have one last perfect Christmas before splitsville; while in their precocious progeny’s vision, fake Christmas will be the thing that glues mum and dad back together again. Things proceed amiably enough from there. Andie MacDowell appears, playing grandma, with a nice line in light cynicism (“sounds more like a roommate than a soulmate”), and various high jinks ensue.