My alphabetical run through Disney Plus lands me on "12 Dates of Christmas" an ABC television TV movie from 2011 that is firmly in the inoffensive-Christmas-themed-Romantic-comedies-sub-genre that is so inexplicably popular and plentiful. So, one sunny June afternoon, I watched it, and whilst I'd never go as far as describing it as being "good", it was, just about, "acceptable".
Kate Stanton (Amy Smart) is preparing to make one last attempt to win back her ex-boyfriend. On Christmas Eve, after choosing an expensive gift in a department store, Kate falls to the floor after being spritzed in the face by a perfume clerk. Having recovered, she blows off her neighbour's nice gesture and cuts short a promising blind date with Miles (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) only to discover that her ex has moved on and has a new girlfriend. Dispirited, she heads to bed only to awaken, back on the floor of the department store on Christmas Eve, with the chance to do it all again.
So yes, it's another film in the long line that take the "Groundhog Day" story idea and apply it in another setting. Kate retains her knowledge of what she learned in the previous day and uses it to improve the lot for people she meets and along the way she gets a valuable insight into herself, and what's important in life. I would say the concept that she's got 12 goes at this doesn't feel like it plays into it very much. Whereas Bill Murray had hundreds of days to perfect the things he chose to learn in "Groundhog Day" Kate goes from entirely unable to cook, to making advanced level cakes in one day. That said, I feel like most of my good will was earned by Amy Smart and her game but breezy performance as the lead, in other hands the character, and therefore the film, would have been much less endearing.
And that's what the film is, light fluffy nonsense, with no points to make, designed to keep you mildly entertained. In that regard, it's successful and I didn't hate it like I have some other films in the same genre but it's pretty far from being worthy of your time.
Kate Stanton (Amy Smart) is preparing to make one last attempt to win back her ex-boyfriend. On Christmas Eve, after choosing an expensive gift in a department store, Kate falls to the floor after being spritzed in the face by a perfume clerk. Having recovered, she blows off her neighbour's nice gesture and cuts short a promising blind date with Miles (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) only to discover that her ex has moved on and has a new girlfriend. Dispirited, she heads to bed only to awaken, back on the floor of the department store on Christmas Eve, with the chance to do it all again.
So yes, it's another film in the long line that take the "Groundhog Day" story idea and apply it in another setting. Kate retains her knowledge of what she learned in the previous day and uses it to improve the lot for people she meets and along the way she gets a valuable insight into herself, and what's important in life. I would say the concept that she's got 12 goes at this doesn't feel like it plays into it very much. Whereas Bill Murray had hundreds of days to perfect the things he chose to learn in "Groundhog Day" Kate goes from entirely unable to cook, to making advanced level cakes in one day. That said, I feel like most of my good will was earned by Amy Smart and her game but breezy performance as the lead, in other hands the character, and therefore the film, would have been much less endearing.
And that's what the film is, light fluffy nonsense, with no points to make, designed to keep you mildly entertained. In that regard, it's successful and I didn't hate it like I have some other films in the same genre but it's pretty far from being worthy of your time.