The Twelve Days of Christmas Eve

I don't really think this is a 7 in the grand scheme of movies, but after watching 2 weeks worth of awful christmas movies with my wife, this one was a welcome relief. Some humor, some production quality, some decent acting, some heartwarming content. Should be at least a 6, so hopefully my 7 will bump it up a little

Steven Weber (Sexual Life) just doesn't get it. He is condemned to repeat Christmas Eve over and over until he does.

Bill Murray did that in Groundhog Day and did it in a fashion that would make every imitation, including this one, pale in comparison.

It was a nice try by Director Martha Coolidge (Material Girls), but it simply fails to have the magic that Murray brings to the table. It's not knowing what is going to happen, because you know what is going to happen in A Christmas Carol, and yet you can still watch multiple versions and enjoy them. Murray so stole Groundhog Day that you just can't watch an imitation. I really found myself watching the clock and saying, "When it going to be the 12th Day?"

Molly Shannon (Evan Almighty, Year of the Dog) was great as the angel, as was Stefanie von Pfetten (40 Days and 40 Nights) as Weber's girlfriend. And Patricia Velasquez (The Mummy, The Mummy Returns) was sweet Christmas candy in a wasted role.

12 Days of Christmas Eve - think "Scrooge" meets "Groundhog Day".

This Christmas special is nothing special. Steven Weber plays Calvin Carter, a wealthy businessman who took a failing family store and turned it into a thriving national chain. Of course, along the way, he left a lonely son, a bitter younger brother, an angry ex-wife and various other casualties.

After living "the best Christmas Eve" of his life, Calvin finds himself waking again that same morning with 12 chances to "get it right."

What follows is cute, but completely predictable.

I give it 6/10 - for having its heart in the right place.

Usually this type of TV movie is hazardous to one's health, as they are syrupy enough to cause diabetes, but this one was a pleasant surprise. Steven Weber is Calvin, a type-A businessman who has alienated most of his family in his drive to build up the family business. In his determination he has forgotten the true meaning of Christmas until he is "killed" by various means and forced to search his life and soul to find himself and his family. He has twelve days to accomplish this, aided by Angie (Molly Shannon), a nurse/angel who is determined to help him succeed.

Weber and Shannon work well together and have a nice, rather caustic relationship. The mood of the movie goes from the comic to the introspective as Calvin begins to find his way. Patricia Velasquez adds to the mix as Isobel, the Portugese visitor whom Calvin is trying to impress, but who has her own way to find, we see at the end. Teryl Rothery is under-utilized as Marilyn, Calvin's ex-wife.

If you are in the mood for a nice, pleasant holiday movie and are tired of the usual fare, I would recommend this one. It's not great theatre, but an enjoyable couple of hours.

No one would dare to try to remake the 1993 classic film, "Groundhog Day." But it was only a matter of time before someone thought to use the same idea in a completely different way. That's what the makers of "The 12 Days of Christmas Eve" have done. Calvin Carter gets 12 Christmas Eves over to determine if he will wake up on Christmas day or not.

The plot is fair, if a little far-fetched. Carter hosts a Brazilian company representative to see if his company will break into Latin America. As in the inspirational movie, he gets the day to live over and over as he tries to make it his best Christmas Eve ever. The comedy isn't on the level of the "Groundhog Day" and some of it is corny. Nor is the cast on the level of the earlier film.

But there's enough humor, and a good enough script with actors who do a decent job. So, this Christmas movie isn't humbug at all, but enjoyable light fare. The whole family should enjoy it.