“The 12 Days of Christmas Eve” is probably one of the better holiday telefilms I’ve seen in the past five years. Highly recommended!
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TITLE: The 12 Days of Christmas
FILM YEAR: 2022
DURATION: 97 Minutes
CHANNEL: Lifetime
Directed by Dustin Rikert
Written by Eirene Donohue
Story by John Stimpson, Geoffrey Taylor
Producer: Andrew Gernhard, Moly M. Mayeux, Colin Theys
Co-Producer: Jason Sallee
Executive Producers: Kelsey Grammer, Timothy O. Johnson, Stacy Mandelberg, Jordan McMahon, Tom Russo
Music: Kara Talve
Cinematography: Branden James Maxham
Casting by Rebecca LaGore, Liz Lewis, Angela Mickey
Production Design by Jere Sallee
Art Direction by Melissa Woods
Costume Design by Keith Nielsen
Starring:
Kelsey Grammer as Brian Conway
Spencer Grammer as Michelle Conway
Mitch Poulos as Santa
Uschi Umscheid as Harkin
Mark Jacobson as Jet
Diana Toshiko as Nina Nishii
Stewart Scott as Jason
Daym Drops as Cheery Caroler
When successful businessman Brian Conway gets into a car accident on Christmas Eve, Santa gives him 12 chances to re-do the day and repair the relationships in his life to find the true meaning of Christmas.
It’s day 35 of the holiday marathon and the film I am reviewing is “The 12 Days of Christmas Eve” which is directed by longitme holiday director/producer Dustin Rikert and written by Eirene Donohue (“Drink Slay Love”, “A Tourist’s Guide to Love”).
The film stars Kelsey Grammer (“Cheers”, “Frasier”), Kelsey’s daughter and actress Spencer Grammer (“Greek”, “Rick and Morthy”) , Mich Poulos, Uschi Umscheid (“Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”, “Sawdust”), Mark Jacobson (“This is US”, “FBI”), Diana Toshiko (“Good Trouble”, “Dave”), Stewart Scott (“Stranded in Paradise”) and more.
For this holiday film, Kelsey Grammer plays a Scrooge-like boss named Brian Conway. He treats his employees coldly, making them work during the holidays and doesn’t have a good relationship with his daughter Michelle (portrayed by Spence Grammer), a surgeon and single-mother raising her daughter Harkin (portrayed by Uschi Umscheid).
On the day of the Christmas party, he finds out that Nina Nishii (portrayed by Diana Toshiko) wants to buy his business and he can make a ton of money from the sale. He could care less about his employees after the sale.
His daughter has an important surgery and needs her father to watch over her daughter, but Brian is not interested.
Brian is selfish and when he goes home after the party, he sees a reindeer and swerves off a bridge which kills him. When he awakes, he meets Santa (portrayed by Mitch Poulos) who tells him that he has 12 chances on Christmas Eve to make things right, if he doesn’t, he remains dead.
So, with 12 chances, Brian tries to figure out how he can make things right in his life. But can he?
I have to say that when it comes to the holiday films I have watched this year, “The 12 Days of Christmas Eve” probably is the top holiday film I’ve watched. Sure, it’s a storyline about people who are like Scrooge and have chances to fix their lives and see how his decision affects others, especially with his daughter and granddauther.
It’s probably one of the more emotional roles you will see Kelsey Grammer play and to see him and daughter Spencer in a film together (in an equally emotional role), their performance makes this holiday film definitely worth watching. Also, performances from young Uschi Umschbeid and businesswoman Diana Toshiko are also well done (especially having to repeat their characters in different situations).
“The 12 Days of Christmas Eve” is probably one of the better holiday telefilms I’ve seen in the past five years. Highly recommended!
