The defence The Sentimental Softie
“Sincerity is not manipulation.”
The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.
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Catch a Christmas Star
Family · Romance · TV Movie · 2013
Nikki Crandon is one of the biggest pop stars on the planet. Whether she's singing the National Anthem or promoting her latest album, everyone knows who she is—none more so than New Jersey high school basketball coach and widower Chris Mitchell, who was Nikki's first love in high school. When Chris' 10-year-old daughter Sophie finds out her dad still has feelings for the singer, she takes matters into her own hands. With her 8-year-old brother Jackson in tow, Sophie succeeds in reuniting the two. But when a misunderstanding and the growing glare of the public spotlight threaten Chris and Nikki's happiness, one can only wonder: will fame get in the way of a Merry Christmas?
Movie details
Catch a Christmas Star
2013 Family · Romance · TV Movie 1h 24m
Critical arithmetic
One number, for now.
Scores change. Arguments endure.
TMDB
6.4 / 10
Community rating
Nikki Crandon is one of the biggest pop stars on the planet. Whether she's singing the National Anthem or promoting her latest album, everyone knows who she is—none more so than New Jersey high school basketball coach and widower Chris Mitchell, who was Nikki's first love in high school. When Chris' 10-year-old daughter Sophie finds out her dad still has feelings for the singer, she takes matters into her own hands. With her 8-year-old brother Jackson in tow, Sophie succeeds in reuniting the two. But when a misunderstanding and the growing glare of the public spotlight threaten Chris and Nikki's happiness, one can only wonder: will fame get in the way of a Merry Christmas?
CriticWise case file
What this film says about your taste.
Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.
The archetype split
Who fights over Catch a Christmas Star?
For the defence
The Sentimental Softie
“You came to feel something, and you will.”
Read their case For the prosecution
The Cool Ironist
“Feeling things is a little embarrassing.”
Read their objectionThe split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.
Taste neighbourhood
Nearby on the taste map.
TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.
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A Christmas Prince: The Royal Baby
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A Royal Christmas
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Christmas in Evergreen: Letters to Santa
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Lisa's trip home to Evergreen for the holidays finds her shepherding an effort to save the town's beloved general store, fulfilling the wishes of a Christmas past and finding a romance full of Christmas magic.
A Christmas Prince
Romance · 2017
When a reporter goes undercover as a nanny to get the inside scoop on a playboy prince, she gets tangled in some royal intrigue and ends up finding love - but will she be able to keep up her lie?
Christmas at the Plaza
Romance · 2019
With Christmas approaching in New York City, historian Jessica is hired to create an exhibition honoring the history of Christmas at The Plaza Hotel. When she is paired with Nick, a handsome decorator, they wind up enjoying a host of holiday traditions together and find themselves falling for each other.
Marry Me at Christmas
Romance · 2017
Organizing a Christmas wedding is a true treat for bridal boutique owner Madeline Krug. She loves the challenge of finding the perfect dress for the bride and orchestrating an exquisite event. What Madeline didn’t expect was to be swept off her feet by the bride’s gorgeous brother, movie star, Jonny Blaze. Jonny came to the quirky town of Fool’s Gold to support his sister -- not to fall in love. Yet Madeline is the most extraordinary woman he’s ever met, and she finds the real Jonny even more captivating than her celebrity crush. Will the action star be brave enough to take on the role of a lifetime?
The Perfect Christmas Present
TV Movie · 2017
Tom Jacobs is Mr Christmas! He's built an entire business around helping clients find the perfect gift. But what happens when he falls for one lucky recipient?
Sharing Christmas
Romance · 2017
A real estate developer is given the opportunity of his career to transform an old shopping complex into a prime location. Unfortunately, there is one tenant who is holding out—the Christmas shop owner he met by happenstance just days ago.
Mr. 365
TV Movie · 2018
When workaholic reality TV producer Sophie starts working on a holiday-season show about Will, a wildly sexy guy who celebrates Christmas every day of the year, she finds herself falling for her mysterious, unlikely new star, renewing her long-lost faith in Xmas in the process.
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Names above the title
The people responsible.
Cast & crew
Directed by
John Bradshaw
Written by
Rickie Castaneda
Shannon Elizabeth
Nikki Crandon
Steve Byers
Chris Marshall
Julia Lalonde
Sophie Marshall
Kyle Breitkopf
Jackson Marshall
Doug MacLeod
Mark
Maria Ricossa
Shelley
Billy MacLellan
Jason
Court is in session
Put Catch a Christmas Star on trial.
Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.
The prosecution The Cool Ironist
“The strings are showing.”
Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.