12 Dates of Christmas
12 Dates of Christmas is a television film starring Amy Smart and Mark-Paul Gosselaar. It premiered on ABC Family on December 11, 2011 in their 25 Days of Christmas programming block. It is directed by James Hayman.[1]
| 12 Dates of Christmas | |
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| Directed by | James Hayman |
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| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
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| Running time | 90 min |
| Production company(s) | ABC Family |
| Distributor | Disney-ABC Domestic Television |
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Plot
Kate finds herself reliving Christmas Eve (including a blind date with a man named Miles) over and over again. She must discover how to break the cycle – should she attempt to win back her ex-boyfriend Jack, or should she pursue Miles, or something else?
Date 1 - Kate runs out to visit Jack. (Correlation to song - Partridge in a Pear Tree) She sees the ad for a partridge pin and pear earring ensemble.
Date 2 - She leaves because she thinks he's married. (Correlation to song - Two Turtle Doves) After Kate sees the man with the lights, there is a quick shot of two children dressed as doves.
Date 3 - Skips it to Cook with her neighbor. (Correlation to song - Three French Hens) After the scene at the doctor's office there is a quick shot of a chef holding a platter of cooked French hens with little flags.
Date 4 - She skips it to play with the Lee, but Miles comes to her apartment with her parents. She walks with him afterward in a sort of walking date. The first time they begin to have chemistry. However, she thinks the Toby is looping with her, which ends up ruining her date. (Correlation to song - Four Calling Birds) There are four birds in cages in the ring store.
Date 5 - She changes the date to a tree purchase date. He carries the tree up the stairs for her and they decorate her tree with all her old ornaments. She's finally glad that her dad has married Sally. Sits next to her neighbor at midnight mass. (Correlation to song - Five Golden Rings) At the very beginning of the day, right after Kate wakes up, there is a close-up of the perfume the attendant sprays on her. The brand is "5 Golden Rings."
Date 6 - Skips it to make cookies with her neighbor, Lee, and Miyoko. She seems to come up with ideas of helping the three of them with their love lives. (Correlation to song - Six Geese a-Laying) There are 6 children with Goose hats in the botanical gardens.
Date 7 - She changes it by asking him what he wants to do. Miles chooses to have her meet him after a hockey game and then they go to a skating rink and Prospect Park. She had decorated the "Poet's Corner" with lights. She quotes him from Date 4 back to him.:) (Correlation to song - Seven Swans a-Swimming) When Kate approaches the man with the lights you can see plastic swan decorations in the foreground.
Date 8 - They only show her with Miles and her parents after the date. She uses her newly-acquired baking skills to give food to her parents and Miles. She leaves because Jack didn't buy the ring. Though she does want Jack to propose to Nancy. (Correlation to song Eight Maids a-Milking) 8 milk jugs with maid pictures on them appear when she goes out to lunch with Jack.
Date 9 - Skips to wallow in self-pity after going to Nick's early but leaving before Miles arrives. (Correlation to song Nine Ladies Dancing) There are 9 ladies dancing at Nick's when she goes early to see Toby coming two hours early.
Day 10 - Starting to put it together. Gives a design to a star maker to impress Lee. Date 10 - Unshown. (Correlation to song - Ten Lords a-Leaping) Michael wears his Lords hockey hoodie (#10) as he leaps a barrier.
Date 11 - She reunites Michael with his home (helping him get a medical exemption for the puppy) and Miles. Has an anonymous date with Miles. (Correlation to song - Eleven Pipers Piping) When Kate stalks Michael the second time, there is a quick shot of an ad for an 11in pizza on a "Pied Pipers of Pizza" delivery truck.
Day 12 - She prepares Toby to meet Miyoko, and later introduces them. She introduces her neighbor, Margine, to Jim. Her "Marry Me" design of the star-maker is revealed. All six invited to her parents for dinner. She also got her sister's family to come. Date 12 - Gets through all the parts that were awkward in earlier dates. She appreciates Sally all the more. Presumably, she helped Michael again, and the entire hockey team is invited to her parents. (Correlation to song - Twelve Drummers Drumming) At the very beginning of the day, right after Kate wakes up, there's a quick shot of a pyramid of 12 nutcrackers with drums.
Cast
- Amy Smart as Kate Stanton
- Mark-Paul Gosselaar as Miles Dufine
- Jayne Eastwood as Margine Frumkin
- Peter MacNeill as Mike Stanton
- Richard Fitzpatrick as Jim
- Benjamin Ayres as Jack Evans
- Jennifer Kydd as Nancy
- Martin Roach as Dr. Kirschner
- Joe MacLeod as Toby
- Laura Miyata as Miyoko
- Stephan James as Michael
Music and theme song
"Angels Are Singing" is a song performed by American recording artist Jordin Sparks, 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.[2]
Critical reception
In Us Weekly, 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."[3]
On Common Sense Media, 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."[4]
See also
References
- 12 Dates of Christmas on IMDb
- "Angels Are Singing – Single". iTunes Store. Apple. Retrieved 2012-02-17.
- Griffiths, John (December 6, 2011). 12 Dates of Christmas, Us Weekly. Retrieved December 16, 2012.
- Ashby, Emily. 12 Dates of Christmas, Common Sense Media. Retrieved December 16, 2012.