TV Review: Christmas Do-Over
Rated by 2 members
What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that the main character in this
made-for-TV movie is a woefully immature guy whose many
character flaws have cost him his wife and young son. He often
resorts to his juvenile ways to cope with his unhappiness,
taking out his frustration on those around him with sarcastic
remarks, practical jokes designed to make his ex-wife's
boyfriend look like a fool, and more than a few punches thrown
at people and objects in the path of his anger. Parents will
definitely want to remind impressionable tweens that there are
more effective ways to resolve conflicts.
Families can talk about how it might feel to do over a part of your past. Kids, if you could redo any day of your life, which would it be? Would you change anything about that time? If so, what? How have the lessons you've learned in your life changed how you look at past actions? What happy memory would you most like to re-live if they could? Why do so many holiday movies revolve around characters who change their selfish ways?
Common Sense Media Review
Jay Mohr and Daphne Zuniga team up in CHRISTMAS DO-OVER, a
made-for-TV holiday movie about a man who's forced to re-live
Christmas day until he uses his second chance (and third and
fourth ...) to make much-needed changes in his life.
Kevin (Mohr) is a struggling jingle writer who's dreading spending the holiday with his ex-wife and her family, who, needless to say, aren't his biggest fans. But for the sake of his 6-year-old son, Ben (Logan Grove), whom he sees only occasionally since his divorce, Kevin makes a last-minute run to the toy store -- buying Ben's gift sight unseen after hearing another kid begging his dad for it -- and shows up on their doorstep with all the spirit he can muster for a brief Christmas visit.
Unbeknownst to Kevin, Jill's (Zuniga) boyfriend, Todd (David Millbern), is also invited, and when he arrives with a more suitable gift for Ben (turns out the kid in the store wanted a pink toy oven), a new car for Jill, and the kind of caring personality that Kevin so obviously lacks, Kevin decides he's had enough. But, as fate would have it, a giant boulder has settled itself in the middle of the only road that leads out of town, so he's forced to tuck his tail and return to his in-laws' house to see the holiday through.
Kevin endures an awkward family dinner, dreaded door-to-door caroling, and Todd's wedding proposal to Jill, all the while reminding himself that he'll be able to escape the nightmare in the morning. But once again, fate steps in, this time resetting the clock and forcing Kevin to re-live the day over and over until he realizes the mess he's made of his life. Only through changing his priorities and making amends for his mistakes will he be able to move on and possibly regain the family he's lost.
Christmas Do-Over's strong cast brings fresh touches of humor to the well-worn premise of repeated chances at redemption. The overall package is a lighthearted comedy with a few laugh-out-loud moments, most of which show Kevin building on his knowledge of how events play out to wow the family with his apparent sensitivity and foresight. Adults and teens will chuckle at the humorously dramatic lengths to which he goes to escape his fateful situation and at his many blind attempts (and one moment of truth) to right past wrongs.
Just be warned that there's lots of juvenile behavior played for laughs -- including sarcastic exchanges, practical jokes, and occasional fistfights.
Fans may also enjoy the superior Groundhog Day or the classic second-chance holiday tale It's a Wonderful Life .
Common Sense Media is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information to help parents make media and entertainment choices for their families.
