''12 Dates of Christmas'' is a

television film A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...

starring

Amy Smart Amy Lysle Smart (born March 26, 1976) is an American actress. A native of Los Angeles, Smart began her career modelling in Italy and subsequently enrolled in acting school. Her first role in film was in director Martin Kunert's anthology horror ...

and

Mark-Paul Gosselaar Mark-Paul Harry Gosselaar (; born March 1, 1974) is an American actor. He is known for his television roles, most notably as Zack Morris in ''Saved by the Bell''. In 1991, he won a Young Artist Award for Best Young Actor Starring in an Off-Pri ...

. It premiered on ABC Family on December 11, 2011 in their

25 Days of Christmas Freeform's 25 Days of Christmas is an American annual seasonal event of Christmas programming broadcast during the month of December by the U.S. cable network Freeform. The event was first held in 1996, and has been an annual fixture of the chann ...

programming block. It is directed by

James Hayman James Hayman, sometimes credited as Jim Hayman, is an American television producer, director and cinematographer. Career His credits include ''Judging Amy'', ''Ugly Betty'', ''Joan of Arcadia'', '' Kingpin'', ''The Sopranos'', '' Any Day Now'' ...

. The movie depicts Smart as Kate, a woman insensitive to the feelings of others and who wants to return to a past relationship, and Gosselaar as Miles, a widower who hopes to find a new romantic partner. After Kate blows off her blind date with Miles on Christmas Eve, she discovers she is stuck in a time-loop, giving her 12 chances to mature, improve her relationships with others, and find romance with Miles.

Plot

Kate Stanton is an advertising agent resentful about her life. Months after her mother died, her boyfriend Jack broke up with her. Now a year later, her father Mike has a new wife, Sally. On Christmas Eve, Kate plans to win back Jack, though her best friend Miyoko is concerned she is denying reality. Kate visits a department store, passing a display of a partridge in a pear tree. She is accidentally sprayed in the face with perfume, then falls and loses consciousness. She awakes to see a store manager and a man named Jim checking on her. She goes to Nick's Bar, passing by a man named Toby, where she meets architect Miles Dufine, a blind date set up by Sally. Kate is rude and leaves the date to meet Jack, only to learn he has a new girlfriend Nancy. Kate joins Mike and Sally for a family Christmas dinner. Sally remarks Kate lost a chance at romance with Miles and can't change the past. At midnight, time rewinds. Kate again wakes up in the department store, confused how she is experiencing the same day. Two children dressed as turtle doves run down the sidewalk. She tries harder to win over Jack, only to now learn he's planning to propose to Nancy. She meets Miles again but storms off when he mentions a wife. Sally explains he is a widower and his wife Laura died a year ago. At midnight, Kate witnesses time moving backwards, returning her to the department store. On the third day, after seeing chefs carrying three cooked hens, Kate asks Jack about their relationship. Approaching Miles anonymously, she learns more about him. She spends the evening with her neighbor Margine Frumkin, learning how to bake. On the fourth day, Kate finds Jack at a jewelry store where a display has four calling birds. She accepts their relationship is over. Kate meets Leigh, whose boyfriend Rich has an annual tradition of making a Christmas display for her. They spend the day together and Kate has a late night meeting with Miles. When she sees Toby again, who is consistently waiting for a blind date, Kate thinks he may be causing the time loop. She confronts him, ruining her date with Miles. On the fifth day, Kate thanks Jim for always checking on her, then walks past a display case of Five Golden Rings perfume. Rather than wait for her blind date, she spends the day with Miles. At the family dinner, Kate realizes Sally and Mike do love each other. At mass, Kate admits her deep fear of being alone. On the sixth day, Kate wakes up and is visibly overwhelmed. Sympathizing, Jim takes her to the botanical gardens where they pass by six children wearing goose hats. The two get to know each other and Kate decides she can do whatever she wants since reality will reboot. She misses her date in order to bake with Margine, Leigh, and Miyoko. On the seventh day, Kate borrows lights from Rich, who is standing near seven plastic swans. This time, she asks Miles what he would like to do for their date. Miles invites her to the hockey rink where he regularly coaches the Lords, a team of children from a group home. One of the kids, Michael, ran away earlier in the day. Miles and Kate ice skate, then visit Prospect Park where she arranged a light display. The two are about to share a kiss when midnight strikes. On the eighth day, Kate tells Jack she's moved past their relationship. Jack invites Kate for a cup of coffee at a cafe where a label shows eight maids milking. Jack reveals he had intended to propose to Kate in the past but she changed after her mother died, becoming obsessive and narrow-focused on what her life should be like. Kate realizes she was in love with marriage more than Jack. At Christmas dinner, Kate realizes Jack never bought an engagement ring and panics, ruining her date with Miles. She later learns Jack proposed without a ring. On the ninth day, Kate is concerned she will never have a relationship with Miles. She goes to the bar early, where nine ladies are dancing, and drinks with Toby. On the tenth day, Kate suggests Rich use his light display to propose to Leigh. She spots young Michael, who wears his Lords hockey sweatshirt (#10). She chases him but he leaps over a barrier and vanishes. On the eleventh day, Kate finds Michael. She reunites him with Miles, then shares an anonymous date with the architect. A delivery truck advertises an 11-inch pizza from Pied Pipers of Pizza. On the twelfth day, Kate walks by a display of 12 nutcrackers with drums. She helps Rich propose to Leigh, then plays matchmaker by introducing Margine to Jim and Toby to Miyoko. She invites all six to her family dinner. She briefly tells Jack she wishes him well in his new relationship, and convinces her sister's family to join the dinner. Meeting with Miles, the two quickly hit if off and then find Michael together, after which the kids from the group home also join the dinner. Impressed with Kate, Miles tells her he feels as if he's known her his whole life. The two finally share a kiss. Kate is overjoyed to see reality does not reboot at midnight.

Cast

as Kate Stanton *

as Miles Dufine *

Jayne Eastwood Jayne Eastwood (born December 17, 1946), also credited as Jane Easton or Jane Eastwood, is a Canadian actress and comedian. She is best known for her film roles as Anna-Marie Biddlecoff in the comedy film ''Finders Keepers'' (1984), Judy the Wai ...

as Margine Frumkin *

Peter MacNeill Peter MacNeill is a Canadian film and television actor and voice-over artist who has starred in numerous television series and films. His film credits have included '' The Hanging Garden'' (for which MacNeill won a Genie Award for Best Suppo ...

as Mike Stanton *Mary Long as Sally * Richard Fitzpatrick as Jim * Benjamin Ayres as Jack Evans *

Jennifer Kydd Jennifer Kydd (born 1976) is a Canadian actress best known for her role as Paige Bradshaw in the Global series '' Falcon Beach''. Biography Kydd was born in 1976 in St. Margarets Bay, Nova Scotia, grew up in Cole Harbour and later moved to St. M ...

as Nancy *

Martin Roach Martin may refer to: Places * Martin City (disambiguation) * Martin County (disambiguation) * Martin Township (disambiguation) Antarctica * Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land * Port Martin, Adelie Land * Point Martin, South Orkney Islands Austr ...

as Dr. Kirschner * Joe MacLeod as Toby * Laura Miyata as Miyoko * Stephan James as Michael *Cherisse Woonsam as Leigh *Paul Beer as Rich

Music and theme song

"Angels Are Singing" is a song performed by American recording artist

Jordin Sparks Jordin Sparks-Thomas (born December 22, 1989) is an American singer and actress. She rose to fame in 2007 after winning the sixth season of ''American Idol'' at age 17, becoming the youngest winner in the series' history. Her self-titled debu ...

, and serves as the theme song of ''12 Dates of Christmas''. It was released as a digital download on November 27, 2011 on iTunes and Amazon.com.

Critical reception

In ''

Us Weekly ''Us Weekly'' is a weekly celebrity and entertainment magazine based in New York City. ''Us Weekly'' was founded in 1977 by The New York Times Company, who sold it in 1980. It was acquired by Wenner Media in 1986, and sold to American Media Inc ...

'', John Griffiths wrote, "This holiday romance steals a page from '' Groundhog Day'' and runs with it.... It's a sweet, wacky... and nicely woven journey, with the endearing Smart adding an extra twinkle." On

Common Sense Media Common Sense Media (CSM) is an organization that reviews and provides ratings for media and technology with the goal of providing information on their suitability for children.

, Emily Ashby said, "... ''12 Dates of Christmas'' works in a sappy-sweet, opposites-attract love plot that just happens to take place on Christmas Eve. This holiday tie-in bolsters what's otherwise a lukewarm story marked by a handful of funny moments and the requisite romantic ones. There's little that's remarkable about the story itself, but that doesn't mean the mostly predictable ending won't leave you feeling warm and fuzzy nonetheless."Ashby, Emily
''12 Dates of Christmas''

Common Sense Media Common Sense Media (CSM) is an organization that reviews and provides ratings for media and technology with the goal of providing information on their suitability for children.

. Retrieved December 16, 2012.

References

External links