IMDb RATING
5.9/10
744
YOUR RATING
After her brilliant idea for a new dating app is stolen by a workplace rival, Chelsea's fortunes take a turn for the better following a Christmas wish upon a shooting star.After her brilliant idea for a new dating app is stolen by a workplace rival, Chelsea's fortunes take a turn for the better following a Christmas wish upon a shooting star.After her brilliant idea for a new dating app is stolen by a workplace rival, Chelsea's fortunes take a turn for the better following a Christmas wish upon a shooting star.
Ashley Holliday Tavares
- Judy
- (as Ashley Tavares)
Joseph Steven
- Charity Santa
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Featured reviews
The writing, directing, etc. are standard Christmas movie pablum. Not awful but pretty unoriginal. The chemistry between the two leads make it watchable. In particular the lead actress was a fresh face and good actress. Hope she gets a chance with better material some day.
The first temptation was to define it as...chaotic. Or improvised. But I loved the touch of fairy tale and I prefered to ignore the large circle of mistakes , from construction of story to acting.
So, the only problem is the waste of potential.
Nice ideas, bizarre used. Morgan Fairchild as more than eccentric Mrs Kringle and Evan Williams working hard with the good guy who he acts. And the poor Vanessa Lengies... .
In Idish exists a word very fair for define what you discover at this film - khaloimes. It is the essence of this movie about an application more than silly and used in wrong manner. Maybe not the worst Hallmark but one only good intentioned.
So, the only problem is the waste of potential.
Nice ideas, bizarre used. Morgan Fairchild as more than eccentric Mrs Kringle and Evan Williams working hard with the good guy who he acts. And the poor Vanessa Lengies... .
In Idish exists a word very fair for define what you discover at this film - khaloimes. It is the essence of this movie about an application more than silly and used in wrong manner. Maybe not the worst Hallmark but one only good intentioned.
This review probably sounds like it comes from somebody that loves hating on Lifetime Christmas films. That couldn't be further from the truth, this is coming from somebody who aims to be encouraging with their reviewing and is mostly generous. Have actually said quite a number of times that Lifetime showed a lot of times that they had a good film in them, although there was a lot of average and less output too. This review is not coming from a Scrooge either, my adoration of Christmas is probably well known by now.
2019 was very hit and miss for Lifetime's Christmas output, very like their previous years. 2020 was also hit and miss for them too, Christmas and overall. Some were pleasantly well above average and others were mediocre at best. Very like their output in general as indicated in the above paragraph. To me, 'A Date by Christmas Eve' (alternate title 'The Naughty List') is one of their worst from that year. Not unwatchable but very weak, compensated by the two lead performances but doesn't have much else going for it.
Am going to get the good things out of the way. As said, 'A Date by Christmas Eve' is saved from unwatchability by the above decent and actually quite appealing lead performances of Vanessa Lengies and Evan Williams. Lengies is suitably perky and Williams is a sensitive and charming partner. Their chemistry comes over as very genuine and amiable, looking at ease with each other.
Did think that the scenery is quite nice.
Otherwise, 'A Date by Christmas Eve' has nothing really to recommend it. The rest of the acting is poor, especially from a truly obnoxious Taylor Frey. Morgan Fairchild looks ill at ease too. None of the supporting characters engaged or appealed, especially the obligatory boyfriend stereotype that often in Christmas films comes over as too much of a jerk and very unpleasant. Which is exactly how the character of Rod comes over. Apart from the scenery, the film doesn't look too great. Too drab and like it was made in haste.
Mostly the music is forgettable at best and has no personality. The script is too cheesy and schmaltzy, constantly sounding awkward and the story is excessively dull, due to trying to pad out half an hour's worth of content to feature length, and has an overload of credulity straining moments that makes it ridiculous. The film feels too thin, has very little warm or charm and has an ending that is obvious from the start.
In conclusion, weak. 3/10.
2019 was very hit and miss for Lifetime's Christmas output, very like their previous years. 2020 was also hit and miss for them too, Christmas and overall. Some were pleasantly well above average and others were mediocre at best. Very like their output in general as indicated in the above paragraph. To me, 'A Date by Christmas Eve' (alternate title 'The Naughty List') is one of their worst from that year. Not unwatchable but very weak, compensated by the two lead performances but doesn't have much else going for it.
Am going to get the good things out of the way. As said, 'A Date by Christmas Eve' is saved from unwatchability by the above decent and actually quite appealing lead performances of Vanessa Lengies and Evan Williams. Lengies is suitably perky and Williams is a sensitive and charming partner. Their chemistry comes over as very genuine and amiable, looking at ease with each other.
Did think that the scenery is quite nice.
Otherwise, 'A Date by Christmas Eve' has nothing really to recommend it. The rest of the acting is poor, especially from a truly obnoxious Taylor Frey. Morgan Fairchild looks ill at ease too. None of the supporting characters engaged or appealed, especially the obligatory boyfriend stereotype that often in Christmas films comes over as too much of a jerk and very unpleasant. Which is exactly how the character of Rod comes over. Apart from the scenery, the film doesn't look too great. Too drab and like it was made in haste.
Mostly the music is forgettable at best and has no personality. The script is too cheesy and schmaltzy, constantly sounding awkward and the story is excessively dull, due to trying to pad out half an hour's worth of content to feature length, and has an overload of credulity straining moments that makes it ridiculous. The film feels too thin, has very little warm or charm and has an ending that is obvious from the start.
In conclusion, weak. 3/10.
Wow! I would have given this movie 0/10 if I could. Alot of the 2019 lifetime christmas movies this season were really good with great actors and actresses but this was one of their worst out of all 28 this season. The main lead actress and her blonde ditzy friend were painful to watch. It literally felt like pulling teeth and like you were at an improv class where no one knew how to act. The movie didnt flow at all. They played background music like they do in all movies to go along with what's happening and it didnt even match up to the acting because they couldnt even act! I made it about half way through. I kept thinking this has to get better but it never did. I mean they couldnt act to save their life. I'm not trying to sound mean but the acting was so forced and it was so so SOOO bad! All their other incredible movies theyve had this season like merry liddle Christmas & a christmas winter song & random acts of Christmas & twinkle all the way & staging christmas & christmas in Louisiana and a christmas wish were all incredible movies and a few others and they flowed along with the storyline and the movie flowed but this was beyond forced. No one in the movie could act. Period. One of the worst movies I've seen in a REALLY long time.
There's nothing to like. Tacky storyline, predictable plot, un-amusing actors and feeble attempts at Christmas-afying already 'done' tropes like 'can't lie' and 'make him love me'.
Unless you're 12 and love the idea of love at Christmas, give this a miss. If you're on the couch desperate for something to watch, invest your time reading the back of a shampoo bottle instead.
Did you know
- TriviaNikki Soohoo and Vanessa Lengies previously co-started in the movie "Stick It" (2006).
- SoundtracksIt's Christmas Time
Written and Produced by David Kater
Co-Produced and Co-Written by Manny Streetz Guevara
Performed by Katherine Bailess
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- A Date by Christmas Eve
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