12/7-12 Dates of Christmas (2011)

Diet Christmas Groundhog Day

I decided that I had been watching too many movies that I either knew I liked, or at least thought I could tolerate, so it was time to break into Netflix's endless supply of sappy, crappy holiday movies, many of which (this one included) are ABC Family movies, so they have that nice wholesome feel.  In addition, I was intrigued simply by the cast; Amy Smart and Zack Morris?  Seems like a good deal.  If this was made a decade earlier with this cast, it would have been a major motion picture, instead of this made-for-TV business.

But alas!  Let's not prejudge this movie.  After all, the Christmas TV special is a cornerstone of any decent sitcom, so why shouldn't that same holiday spirit apply to this movie?

And I gotta admit, I didn't hate this.  I mean, it wasn't great, but I really stuck with it and even felt something for the characters by the end.

So, what's it all about?

[In 90s movie trailer voice] Kate (Amy Smart) is a gal who knows what she wants.  She's got a plan to win back her exboyfriend and she's sticking to it, even if that means blowing off Miles (Zack Morris [Mark-Paul Gosslar]) on their blind date.  But when she finds out her ex is engaged on Christmas eve, fate steps in to give her another chance *RECORD SCRATCH* or twelve! This Christmas, there'll be lords-a-leapin' to see these turtle doves get their golden rings, in ABC Family's 12 Dates of Christmas!

But seriously, she's set up on this blind date with handsome Miles and abandons him to meet up with her ex with whom she still thinks she has a chance of getting back together.  Unfortunately he's planning to propose to his new lady that night.  Sad about her ex and sad about being shitty to the hot Miles, she falls asleep with a shopping channel on.  While selling a partridge necklace, the clock strikes midnight (officially Christmas) and magic happens!  The clock turns back!  She gets to live Christmas eve all over again!

At first she thinks it's Christmas, then she thinks she's crazy, then she just starts to go with it.  By Christmas eve number 3 or 4, she's really letting go and doing whatever the eff she wants, which is learning more and more about Miles, while also helping random people.  I will say, the more we learn about Miles, the more cartoonish he becomes.  Everything about him seems like it was picked out of a Prince Charming catalog.  On the first date, we learn he plays hockey, but nothing more is said about it.  But on a subsequent Christmas eve, Kate learns he actually coaches hockey.  But not just regular kids, which would be endearing enough, he coaches kids who live in a group home, you know the ones who don't have a real family so Miles does his best to be their family.  It's laid on pretty thickly.

At the same time, Kate, who starts out fairly unlikable, becomes much more considerate of others as she progresses through her Groundhog Day-esque cycling day.  It's almost heartwarming until you think a little more critically and realize that she's doing these things because they don't matter and whatever she does gets reset at midnight.  I think the idea is that she'll continue to be this newer, nicer person once she's out of her time loop, but we don't really get to see it, so I'm free to speculate.

I didn't make this, but it's perfect

Anyway, it's kinda cute as a whole.  If you were curious what Groundhog Day would be like if it were about Christmas and had to appeal to the lowest common denominator, then give this a watch, you probably won't be disappointed.

Rating on the feel-good-o-meter: 4 out of 10 hugs