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.
Back to trending 
A Kiss Before Christmas
TV Movie · Romance · Comedy · 2021
Ethan, always the nice guy, wakes up in a new reality at Christmas. Initially, he is enthralled with his new life but soon realizes that it's not what he thought it would be.
Movie details
A Kiss Before Christmas
“Life is about the choices we make.”
2021 TV Movie · Romance · Comedy 1h 24m
Critical arithmetic
One number, for now.
Scores change. Arguments endure.
TMDB
6.0 / 10
Community rating
Ethan, always the nice guy, wakes up in a new reality at Christmas. Initially, he is enthralled with his new life but soon realizes that it's not what he thought it would be.
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 A Kiss Before Christmas?
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.
Haul Out the Holly
TV Movie · 2022
Emily arrives home, hoping to visit her parents, only to discover that they are leaving on a trip of their own. As she stays at their house for the holidays, their HOA is determined to get Emily to participate in the neighborhood’s many Christmas festivities.
The Christmas Contest
TV Movie · 2021
Exes Lara and Ben compete in a Christmas contest to win money for the charity of their choosing. The city watches them battle and choose what is more important, victory or love.
'Tis the Season to be Merry
TV Movie · 2021
Looking for a fresh angle to her book on relationships, Merry heads to snow-covered Vermont. She finds a new perspective and Christmas cheer with charismatic aid worker Chris.
Picture a Perfect Christmas
Romance · 2019
An extreme-sports photographer returns home for the holiday to take care of her grandmother, only to have a neighbor grab her attention as he needs assistance watching his young nephew.
A Wedding to Remember
TV Movie · 2021
On opposite sides of a development project, Olivia and Brian are surprised to find they are the Maid of Honor and Best Man at the same wedding. They have to put their feelings aside to save their best friends’ wedding… which may turn out to be their own as well!
Christmas at Castle Hart
TV Movie · 2021
Brooke Bennett goes to Ireland for Christmas to search for her Irish roots. While there, she meets Aiden Hart, Earl of Glaslough. Mistaken for an elite event planner, she’s hired to host his castle’s epic Christmas party.
Check Inn to Christmas
TV Movie · 2019
Julia Crawley and Ryan Mason must unite their families during Crestridge's Centennial Christmas celebration in order to save their family inns from a chain resort.
The Royal Nanny
TV Movie · 2022
Claire is an MI5 agent who goes undercover as the royal nanny. She must overcome the challenges of her assignment, like resisting the charms of Prince Colin, while keeping the family safe at Christmas.
Christmas Cookies
TV Movie · 2016
Aunt Sally's Christmas Cookie Company is sold to a large conglomerate and executive Hannah must seal the deal and shut down the factory, which is the small town of Cookie Jar's lifeblood. What was supposed to be a simple assignment for Hannah becomes complicated when she meets Jake, the factory owner who's determined to keep the factory in town. Despite not being a fan of the holiday, the Christmas spirit in this small town is infectious and she gets swept up in the joy of the season while also falling in love with Jake.
My Christmas Prince
TV Movie · 2017
Samantha, a dedicated teacher in Manhattan, returns to her home town of Maple Falls, Wyoming every year for Christmas. This year, she’s delighted when her boyfriend Alex, a European diplomat from the tiny country of Madelvia, decides to joins her. Samantha later discovers Alex is actually a prince destined for the throne, turning her entire world upside down. Realizing that staying with Alex means spending her life in the constant glare of publicity and giving up the job opportunity of a lifetime, Samantha must decide if she loves Alex enough to make the transition from teacher to royal – or will it be too big a leap
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Names above the title
The people responsible.
Cast & crew
Directed by
Jeff Beesley
Written by
Mark Amato · Tracy Andreen
Teri Hatcher
Joyce
James Denton
Ethan Holt
Marilu Henner
Rona
C
Carson Kroeker
Colin
S
Sophia Elena Bachart
Tisha
John B. Lowe
Santa
Rod Wilson
Sean
Court is in session
Put A Kiss Before Christmas 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.