The Twelve Days of Christmas Eve (2004 TV Movie) User Reviews

Not bad, but nothing original

[myrealana · 6/10 · 8 December 2004]

12 Days of Christmas Eve - think "Scrooge" meets "Groundhog Day".

This Christmas special is nothing special. Steven Weber plays Calvin Carter, a wealthy businessman who took a failing family store and turned it into a thriving national chain. Of course, along the way, he left a lonely son, a bitter younger brother, an angry ex-wife and various other casualties.

After living "the best Christmas Eve" of his life, Calvin finds himself waking again that same morning with 12 chances to "get it right."

What follows is cute, but completely predictable.

I give it 6/10 - for having its heart in the right place.

You don't have to be "original" to be funny!

[iluvcallalilies · 7/10 · 1 December 2010]

Yes, this movie is similar to Groundhog Day, Family Man, and A Christmas Carol.... BUT it still carves out it's own place at the table.

If you like Christmas movies, and if you go into this understanding it was made for TV - you'll be VERY pleasantly surprised and pleased with this comedy. It's not Oscar material, it's not deep, it won't make you cry (thank goodness), but it will give you some laughs and it's a fun holiday film.

There are many many similar films..... most are dull or okay (Christmas Do-Over with Jay Mohr is markedly similar in plot to this tale, but not nearly as entertaining).

Molly Shannon as the angel is absolutely fabulous! Steve Webber does a great job tying comedy and humanity together, creating a sympathetic and believable (for a holiday TV movie) character.

While the plot is familiar in its similarities to other films, and consequently extremely predictable - the humor and contemporary setting make this a great "sitcom" style film.

It wouldn't be a Christmas movie without a moral and the lesson here was deeper and more provocative than expected. He wasn't able to buy, give, volunteer, or simply donate his way out of the mess - it was more and I especially appreciated that.

If you want a fun family Christmas movie with some light laughs, check this out!

When you are successful in business you are successful at all?

[Juan_from_Bogota · 5/10 · 20 March 2007]

This movie tells the story of Calvin Carter (Steven Weber), a successful businessman owner of some shopping stores in America, that has to solve a deep question of his life (is he really successful?), he dies and wake up in this search for answers, but he has only 12 days to do it following the rules told by a Magical Nurse called Angie (Molly Shanon).

This movie is entertaining and gives you a good lesson for life, great to see with family and learn somethings about ethics and family values.

The main aspect that takes away 5 stars to this movie is its lack of originality, it seems as a combination of Groundhog Day (1993 with Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell), The Family Man (2004 with Nicolas Cage and Tea Leoni) and A Christmas Carol, the Charles Dickens Story of the three ghosts represented in the movie Scrooge (1951 with Alastair Sim), Scrooged (1988 with Bill Murray) and in Mickey's Christmas Carol (1983 Disney with Mickey Mouse), among others film resemblances.

An entertaining movie to see with family and spend a good time!, and learn something really useful for life; but nothing original.

Not as syrupy as I feared

[jfg1-1 · 10 December 2004]

Usually this type of TV movie is hazardous to one's health, as they are syrupy enough to cause diabetes, but this one was a pleasant surprise. Steven Weber is Calvin, a type-A businessman who has alienated most of his family in his drive to build up the family business. In his determination he has forgotten the true meaning of Christmas until he is "killed" by various means and forced to search his life and soul to find himself and his family. He has twelve days to accomplish this, aided by Angie (Molly Shannon), a nurse/angel who is determined to help him succeed.

Weber and Shannon work well together and have a nice, rather caustic relationship. The mood of the movie goes from the comic to the introspective as Calvin begins to find his way. Patricia Velasquez adds to the mix as Isobel, the Portugese visitor whom Calvin is trying to impress, but who has her own way to find, we see at the end. Teryl Rothery is under-utilized as Marilyn, Calvin's ex-wife.

If you are in the mood for a nice, pleasant holiday movie and are tired of the usual fare, I would recommend this one. It's not great theatre, but an enjoyable couple of hours.

Borrowing a theme of a repeat day, this is a pleasant Christmas movie

[SimonJack · 6/10 · 12 January 2019]

No one would dare to try to remake the 1993 classic film, "Groundhog Day." But it was only a matter of time before someone thought to use the same idea in a completely different way. That's what the makers of "The 12 Days of Christmas Eve" have done. Calvin Carter gets 12 Christmas Eves over to determine if he will wake up on Christmas day or not.

The plot is fair, if a little far-fetched. Carter hosts a Brazilian company representative to see if his company will break into Latin America. As in the inspirational movie, he gets the day to live over and over as he tries to make it his best Christmas Eve ever. The comedy isn't on the level of the "Groundhog Day" and some of it is corny. Nor is the cast on the level of the earlier film.

But there's enough humor, and a good enough script with actors who do a decent job. So, this Christmas movie isn't humbug at all, but enjoyable light fare. The whole family should enjoy it.

Better than others

[delongvaughn · 7/10 · 2 December 2018]

I don't really think this is a 7 in the grand scheme of movies, but after watching 2 weeks worth of awful christmas movies with my wife, this one was a welcome relief. Some humor, some production quality, some decent acting, some heartwarming content. Should be at least a 6, so hopefully my 7 will bump it up a little

It's all about family

[lastliberal · 5/10 · 21 December 2007]

Steven Weber (Sexual Life) just doesn't get it. He is condemned to repeat Christmas Eve over and over until he does.

Bill Murray did that in Groundhog Day and did it in a fashion that would make every imitation, including this one, pale in comparison.

It was a nice try by Director Martha Coolidge (Material Girls), but it simply fails to have the magic that Murray brings to the table. It's not knowing what is going to happen, because you know what is going to happen in A Christmas Carol, and yet you can still watch multiple versions and enjoy them. Murray so stole Groundhog Day that you just can't watch an imitation. I really found myself watching the clock and saying, "When it going to be the 12th Day?"

Molly Shannon (Evan Almighty, Year of the Dog) was great as the angel, as was Stefanie von Pfetten (40 Days and 40 Nights) as Weber's girlfriend. And Patricia Velasquez (The Mummy, The Mummy Returns) was sweet Christmas candy in a wasted role.

12 Days of Christmas Eve: New Age Redemption Story

[DeusWar · 6/10 · 15 December 2021]

This charming film combines elements of 'Groundhog Day' as well as Charles Dicken's classic book, 'A Christmas Tale', to create a modern New-Age style redemption story.

A self-centered materialistic type-A business man is met with death after a successful (in his view) day of wooing a Brazilian businesswoman to complete a deal with his company on Christmas Eve. As the movie progresses he continually dies in various ways after repeating the same Christmas Eve day over and over. He is met with a kind of spirit guide disguised as a no-nonsense nurse who helps him to 'be his best self' by learning new lessons through each death until he eventually 'perfects' himself and is granted permission to continue living into the future.

Combining elements of Buddhistic Karma as well as Catholic purgatory this movie tries to sell the idea that it is up to us to save ourselves through our own good works. The idea is that it is possible to redeem ourselves is popular in modern American pop-culture and is continually hoisted upon us as truth. In this 'reality' we become our own god that can learn and determine our own redemption.

Here are some thoughts for the adept viewer:

The problem with the world-view portrayed is that there is no real evidence that reincarnation is true. By watching these movies we can trick ourselves into thinking that reincarnation is true without investigating it for ourselves.

How can the effort of self-improvement leading to redemption be credited to the main character if it is obviously the nurse character who is guiding and manipulating him? Ultimately the main characters 'redemption' is guided by his selfish desire to stay alive. The reality is, is that all human beings are selfish and sinful. We seek after our own benefit above all else and cannot ultimately redeem ourselves. We need an all-powerful being outside of our existence, who is Holy, to redeem us from our sin trap. This is the reality as put forth by the Bible.

'Groundhog Day' style Christmas film

[studioAT · 5/10 · 7 December 2017]

He's done a lot of work in his career but for me Steven Weber will always be Jack Rudolph in 'Studio 60', and the role he plays here isn't a million miles away from that character.

It's a good Christmas themed film, with Weber's character going on a 'Groundhog Day' style road to being a better man by repeating the same Christmas Eve 12 times.

It's completely Steven Weber's film really, with the other actors not really adding much to it, despite doing well in their fairly underwritten roles. Molly Shannon is fine as the 'nurse', though has been in far better things than this.

Overall a harmless, potentially thought provoking film to watch this Christmas.

Great Premise, Good Actors, Mediocre Script

[thecrafts-66710 · 7/10 · 6 November 2019]

This movie snuck up on me which is no mean feat as I'm a Christmas movie junkie. In fact, I didn't stumble across it until 2019. After watching it, I understand why it has faded away into the same Christmas Movie warehouse where they also send Lifetime Christmas movies after they've aired. 7 stars is probably generous but there are some great actors; Weber, Shannon and Rothery (who wasn't given enough screen time) and the premise is fairly unique: Envision a marriage of "A Christmas Carol" and "Groundhog Day" and you have for an interesting movie. However, the script is poorly written and it kind of drags in the middle despite humorous attempts at coming up with new methods on (spoiler alert) how to kill off Calvin Carter each day. Despite everything, it is somewhat warm and smarmy and all about family and the holidays and how Christmas is so misunderstood. Overall, I'm glad I watched it!

Great, except the credits

[claredrefcinski · 3/10 · 6 December 2020]

Very funny movie to watch with friends. We made fun of it the whole time. Would've rated a 10 but then the credits ruined it. They wrote it in comic sans.... it was like a middle school flashback and the vibe was ruined.

Yep

[hemipirate · 9/10 · 21 November 2019]

Yep, as I started to watch I immediately thought I was watching a rip off of Groundhog Day. I like Steven Weber and Molly Shannon so I figured I'd stick with it. I'm glad I did. Yes, the story is similar to Groundhog Day with a twist of A Christmas Carol but it was entertaining and the acting was great. Good fliick, I'll watch it again.

"The Twelve Days of Christmas Eve" is a heartwarming holiday film directed by Martha Coolidge, released in 2004. The movie follows a self-absorbed businessman named Calvin Car

[alexpeychev · 7/10 · 26 April 2024]

"The Twelve Days of Christmas Eve" is a heartwarming holiday film directed by Martha Coolidge, released in 2004. The movie follows a self-absorbed businessman named Calvin Carter, played by Steven Weber, who learns the true meaning of Christmas through a series of unexpected events.

The story begins on Christmas Eve when Calvin is visited by a guardian angel named Ralph (played by Mark Krysko) who informs him that he has only 12 days left to live. Calvin is given the chance to change his ways and redeem himself by making amends for his past mistakes.

Each day, Calvin wakes up to find himself reliving Christmas Eve, and he must navigate through various situations involving his family, friends, and colleagues. Along the way, he learns valuable lessons about love, forgiveness, and the importance of relationships.

As Calvin tries to make things right, he reconnects with his estranged family, including his ex-wife (played by Molly Shannon) and young son, and learns to appreciate the joy and magic of the holiday season.

"The Twelve Days of Christmas Eve" is a charming and uplifting film that captures the spirit of Christmas. It blends elements of comedy, drama, and fantasy to deliver a touching story about redemption and second chances. Steven Weber delivers a compelling performance as Calvin, and the supporting cast adds depth to the film's heartfelt message.

Overall, "The Twelve Days of Christmas Eve" is a delightful holiday movie that reminds viewers of the importance of kindness, generosity, and the true meaning of Christmas.

Man as stuck on one and the movie was stuck in one place

[atinder · 3/10 · 21 November 2012]

12 Days of Christmas eve (2004)

Yet another person who seem to wake up and the same day again!

And I thought Christmas do over was poor, this one was the worst of the lot so far, I found Do over better then this, it least Do over was a bit more funny then this as the same said for Christmas every day.

This times the man keeps waking up on Christmas eve, this movie did have There few laugh out moment in and there,

the rest felt like they didn't move on to the next lever, it sound like Scrooge meet Groundhog down on Christmas eve.

The only think l like about this movie, How he get killed off for 12 different ways in 12 days, which is the same day.

The acting was decent from the whole cast. 4 out of 10

Finally! Not a Christmas Romance Movie!

[contact-125-651146 · 7/10 · 9 September 2022]

Very entertaining, funny sometimes and with a very good message on CHRISTmas.

While the idea is not original (Groundhog Day, Scrooge and the song Twelve Days of CHRISTmas ideas are combined), it uses (and combine) in a very smart and funny way, the idea of some classic movies.

Steven Weber and Molly Shannon (SNL alumni) give us a very good performance.

Along the "12 days", the main character re-learn one of the meaning of CHRISTmas: family and friends. But, boy! How he gets hurt to figure that out!

And guess what? If you are looking for another syrup"CHRISTmas romance" movie, just forget it. This one is not for you at all!

I highly recommended.

Surprisingly fun and funny this mashup of Groundhog Day and Christmas Carol.

[cgvsluis · 7/10 · 9 December 2022]

This really was a mashup of Groundhog Day and Christmas Carol. Owner/CEO of "The Buck Stops Here" Retail stores Calvin Carter is on the brink of breaking in to the Latin American market when he is visited on Christmas Eve by the Brazilian that can make it happen Isobel Frias. He interrupts his plans and steps on all his family members of what was a family owned and family run store on Christmas Eve to show off their store and kind of wine and Dine Isobel, which convinces her to go with The Buck Stops Here...but at the end of the night Calvin is struck and killed by the finger on their store sign. He wakes up in a strange hospital with a strange nurse who keeps sending him back to get his day right and he gets twelve tries total...although Calvin seems to be exceedingly dense and he may be her first failure, unable to make it to Christmas as he tries a variety of inventive ways to "try to get it right".

This was a surprise for me and I found I quite enjoyed it. It wasn't your typical Christmas film and had some wonderfully dry humor. The best part was the message, "Christmas isn't a destination, it's a journey." Molly Shannon was a surprisingly wonderful "nurse" and a real highlight.

I recommend this to anyone looking for something a little different and to those with Christmas spirit.

Pleasant and predictable

[TumnusFalls · 2/10 · 16 December 2008]

Not a bad movie. But not a great one, either.

Do not look to this movie thinking it will break new ground. It is a somewhat "safe" movie (only a few scenes implying adult behavior), but the characters don't really explore much about themselves. Calvin (Steve Weber) is given a limited script and limited direction. Rather than explore the absolutely wonderful idea that you can learn what matters at Christmas by repeating your day until you "get it," Calvin is sardonic and removed.

*** SPOILER ***

Calvin does learn his lesson. He realizes he doesn't "love" his bedmate; he doesn't need to meet for business on Christmas Eve 'cause it takes him and his executive assistant away from their families; he needs to spend quality time with his son (who shuttles between Mom and Dad after a divorce); he needs to be aware of his brother and dad; and he needs to make it better with his former wife.

Not bad in theory, and not terrible in execution, but just not very fresh, witty, or interesting. I wanted to see Calvin go through a little more thought about his choices instead of being shallow and predictable. Yes, I knew that he'd learn his lesson - it's a comedy - and I knew that he'd do the right thing, and that everything would work out. But really, there was so much more to explore here.

This was a Stage One movie that could go to Stage Three just with a little more thought and intention.

Steve Weber is so much more than this movie lets him be.

Get it for the kids, watch it with the kids (cover their eyes if you don't think non-married adults naked under the covers is kid-friendly), and maybe keep it around for those long Christmas vacations when you've already watched all three sets of Lord of the Rings, Extended Editions.

The groundhog day thing has been done to death!

[darthsteele-39338 · 1/10 · 19 November 2020]

The groundhog day thing again really? No matter how you package it it's still the same. And this slow drab holiday rendition of this tired formula doesn't offer anything different new or interesting.

Good, quirky Christmas fare

[greg_bbb · 8/10 · 16 November 2016]

As Christmas movies go, this is a very good one. I always try and watch my favorites during the holidays, and this is one. The main character is very likable, but flawed and Steven Weber as Calvin does an excellent job driving the flick. The supporting cast is well above average as well. Molly Shannon stands out, and so does Patricia Velasquez as the BiG Business WOMAN from South America that represents BiG $ if handled well. Calvin has an interesting family dynamic as well, with siblings, children, and a father with Alzheimer's onset. The music is excellent as well, setting the tone for this offbeat Christmas film. I laughed many times and the payoff at the End, a MUST for Christmas flicks, was very satisfying.

An underrated movie

[gads2000 · 8/10 · 16 December 2008]

It is inevitable that people would compare this movie to "Groundhog Day" because of the time-loops, but there are significant differences. The main character in "Groundhog Day" was looped for reasons and by forces unknown, with no set time limit or even requirement for getting out of it. The main character in "The 12 Days of Christmas Eve" dies but divine intercession gives him another chance (12 actually) to find real meaning in his life before his premature demise becomes a final judgment. Murray plays a shallow, self-absorbed, and self-important reporter lusting after a co-worker, whereas Weber (Calvin Carter) plays a successful entrepreneur driven by guilt to provide for his family. Both need a character adjustment, but for different reasons. Murray's character must learn to give, but Carter must learn the meaning for giving for it to mean anything.

And, pleasantly enough, the movie is not as predictable as some would indicate. The gallows humor of Calvin Carter dying each day in some bizarre way, and his increasing fatalism when it happens, is in itself entertaining. His failure to escape the loop by giving money, presents, service, and time to others also avoids the trite and shallow message that simply giving to others is the answer. At the end he finds that even then he does not have the full answer, evidenced by Angie's (Molly Shannon) admonition that the perfect Christmas Eve is a journey, not a destination - not simply something you make, but something you live.

Thoroughly Enjoyed this Movie

[docm-32304 · 8/10 · 25 December 2018]

Yes, there are elements of Groundhog Day in this film as well as Scrooge, but it still comes out fresh and fun. Normally I can't stand Steven Weber's usual performance as a narcissistic jackass, but in this film, it totally works. For myself, the real stand out performance was Molly Shannon. She had me in stitches with her sarcastic quips and her face slap punctuated the situation perfectly. I watched it twice and on the second round, we both shouted out puns to match the way the lead was killed in each sequence...all around fun movie to watch and a great break from the factory of Hallmark romance drivel under the guise of "Christmas Movies".

QUIRKY FUN...had to give it a 10...

[nycboer-37717 · 10/10 · 30 December 2019]

...to offset all The Scrooges who gave it less than 4 Stars. OK, so it's Groundhog Day Goes Christmas, but it still is so much FUN. The main character is very believable as a Workaholic Dad and without giving any spoilers, his attempts to win over his son are hilarious. The movie also has a cute final ending with a cliched surprise...but sill FUN. Stop pointing a HUGE FINGER at all the flaws and just enjoy the show...with Family of course!

Christmas soup. Nothing wrong with leftovers.

[stevenbeech · 8/10 · 27 October 2011]

Like most peoples Christmas our Christmas revolves around traditions. One of our traditions is Boxing Day soup. We take all the leftovers from the previous day and with good stock make a thick, nourishing soup to eat. The result is a cheap satisfying meal that leaves you feeling full and happy for virtually no effort.

I mention this because this film is like a soup of other films. Groundhog day, Switch, Family Man, Scrooge, Scrooged, Christmas Do-Over and a few others thrown into the straight to TV blender and zhushed together to make a hearty broth of Holiday movie with a little cream on top to make it sweet. Its not original, overly sickly, clever or particularly brilliantly executed but the whole is better because of the sum of its parts.

Steven Weber is slickly cynical as Carter, getting frustrated as he can't figure out how to buy his way out of his predicament. Jesse Carter pitches just the right side of perfect without being smug as his brother looking after the Dad. Molly Shannon is totally likable as Angie. The kid is not utterly annoying. The whole cast pull together to make this chug along in an enjoyable way to reach the climax. There genuinely is a point where you think he isn't going to get there. But hey, its a Christmas movie it has to have a happy ending, thats the point. There's some nice little comic touches, and a couple of genuine laugh out loud moments. Not huge belly laughs, its not Christmas Vacation. Some of it is quite dark, but you need the dark to make it light and sure enough it all works out.

Sure it drags a tiny bit in the middle, a lot of films do, and not every single thing works but in the main its a perfectly nice, perfectly good, perfectly watchable film to get you in the mood for Christmas that you can watch round about the beginning of December and it'll make you feel all warm and fuzzy and full of that familiarity of Christmas. Just like Boxing Day Soup.

Love this movie

[kmsullins · 8/10 · 1 December 2006]

I want to know who the artist is for the music. There are 2 main songs.. the one playing in the beginning when he is waking up, and the other is playing on the main menu. I would like to know where I would find them I have watched this movie at least 5 times just this season. There are so many movies of this type out for the holidays but with Molly Shannon you can't miss. She is always awesome. I enjoy movies that the whole family can watch, don't have to worry about language, scenes you don't want your children to see. There just aren't many of those around anymore. For those of us who are older and somewhat old fashioned this is what we look for.We are totally fed up with Hollywood hype, the liberty they take regarding language, sexual content, violence and politics. It is just sickening and we have stopped going to movies.. Don't want to support their whole scene.

thank you