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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Christmas in Evergreen: Letters to Santa
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The Sweetest Christmas
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Christmas at the Plaza
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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.
Christmas with a View
TV Movie · 2018
This Christmas, Thunder Mountain Ski Resort is abuzz when celebrity chef Shane Roarke is named the new head chef. Clara Garrison isn't as excited and is instead focused on getting resettled after her failed attempt at opening a restaurant in the city. With their paths constantly crossing, will their shared passion for cooking bring them together or will secrets keep them apart?
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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.