A holiday film called “The Twelve Days of Christmas Eve” is best known in two particular adaptations which include the 2004 TV Movie and a 2022 remake.
2004 Version
- Synopsis: Calvin Carter, who is a very proud workaholic CEO, meets an accident during the Christmas Eve, and later gets twelve chances to undo his wrongdoings and how he became the man he is.
- Cast:
- Steven Weber as Calvin Carter
- Molly Shannon as Angie
- Mark Krysko as Drew
- Teryl Rothery as Eilleen
- Critical Reception: The film appeared to have mixed reviews with a rating of 5.7 on IMDb.
2022 Version
- Synopsis: Titled in the style of Christmas Eve, the short film depicts the life of Brian Conway, a devoted businessman, whose relationships tend to fail because he is a workaholic but after an accident gets 12 chances to fix them, his daughter Michelle being the first.
- Cast:
- Kelsey Grammer as Brian Conway
- Spencer Grammer as Michelle
- Mitch Poulos as Santa
- Critical Reception: The sequel of the first film appeared to have done better and holds a rating of 6.2 on IMDb.
Availability
- The Tubi website has the 2004 version available for free streaming.
- The 2022 version is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video and Paramount Plus.
Personal Insights
Redemption, in both the films, is visible as a significant underlying theme along with closeness of relations being more important than professional life.
The repetitive cycle is similar to the movie ‘Groundhog Day’ and it helps the lead character, in this case , to improve and understand self before the end which is rather emotionally appealing.
Cultural Significance
These films enhance the category of holiday films by upholding the typical notions about family, love, and Christmas spirit. These are simple modern moral stories which warn the audience, about how work should not undermine relationships.