Merry Christmas... Happy New Year (1989): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1989, Merry Christmas... Happy New Year is a comedy and drama film directed by Luigi Comencini, running about 100 minutes.

What it’s about. In this romantic story, a couple (Michel Serrault and Virna Lisi) who have been married for over forty years are forced to separate, one to each of their two children's families, when they can no longer pay the rent on their longtime apartment. Absence, in this case, refreshes their memory of the love they have shared, and they take to meeting one another furtively in hotel rooms for sex and affection. One summer, as each of their daughters families takes them on separate vacations, they have had enough, and elope, finding contentment as lighthouse keepers off the coast of Sicily.

Who’s in it. Merry Christmas... Happy New Year stars Michel Serrault as Gino, Virna Lisi as Elvira, Mattia Sbragia as Giorgio and Consuelo Ferrara as Patrizia, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 6.5/10, Merry Christmas... Happy New Year has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Merry Christmas... Happy New Year page.

If you liked it. Fans of Merry Christmas... Happy New Year tend to enjoy Forrest Gump, Parasite, Life Is Beautiful and Fight Club.