It’s time to officially kick off Hallmark’s Countdown to Christmas! And after watching this one, I don’t think there was a better movie to start things off with. There was an immediate, natural, and easy chemistry that happened between Jessie and Bryan. It’s part of what made this one a true delight to watch. And the storyline had some of my favorite tropes in it, which meant I was completely invested right from the start. Though, full disclosure, I’m pretty into just about anything Hallmark has to offer. Especially when it comes to their Christmas movies. And while I have plenty of favorites, I don’t think I have any choice but to add this one to the favorites list. So keep reading for my Twas the Date Before Christmas review!
Needing a Date for Christmas
We already know that the Hallmark Christmas movie plots tend to cycle through. And honestly, that’s one of the many things that I love about them so much. It’s part of what makes them cozy, comfort watching material. Plus, there’s a reason why the saying “if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it” exists. Because what they have set up is working. So why mess with it? And we’ve all been there, right? Where an event with our family would be made easier if we had a date with us. Even if it’s for something as simple as getting our family off our back about being in a relationship. So yeah, I’m usually all in when it comes to the main character getting themselves a fake date. But I’m also all in when it’s a Hallmark movie anyway.
I kind of liked the modern-like twist to this that we had Bryan and Jessie agreeing to a Christmas blind date through an app. Because we all know that’s how so many people are meeting these days. And what better way to know whether you truly fit well with someone than just throwing them completely into your family’s holiday event? If they can make it through that, then they can make it through anything! Though there was of course some drama in the form of Bryan working for the company that was planning on evicting Jessie’s sister-in-law out of her candle store. And giving her the notice on freaking Christmas Eve. But I feel like Jessie and Bryan did a good job figuring things out and not getting completely upset with each other.
The Christmas Olympics
Okay, so I thought the Olympic-style games that Jessie’s family did was pretty cool. And I liked that they were changing up how things are done. Just to try and help Jessie have a bit of fun. It seems like some really great traditions and clearly every member of the family has had fun doing it over the years. If I had the energy and time to put an Olympic style series of games together for Christmas, I totally would. I don’t know that I would take it quite as seriously as Jessie and her family did. But, to be fair, they had been doing this for years. So it was fair and made sense that they all took it so seriously.
The different events were all individually really fun. But I don’t know if I would be able to fit everything into the time period that they did. So if it was something that I was going to do with my own family, I would definitely have to pick just a couple of the events. Unless it was something that I wanted to keep going over multiple days. Some of the events they included were a gift wrapping contest, a snowball fight, a bake-off, and everyone trying to find the Christmas star first. I would definitely keep the snowball fight. What a great way to get out your aggression on your family! And probably the bake-off. That one just seems like a win-win for everyone to eat delicious food. So if you’re thinking of doing it, those are the events I recommend.
Instant Connection
I really liked the way that Jessie and Bryan vibed with each other right off the bat. And it was nice that he didn’t get too upset about having what he agreed to do change up on him so quickly. He actually seemed to genuinely get it. Which also contributed to the vibe working so well between the two of them. But not only did Bryan vibe with Jessie, he fit in really well with the rest of Jessie’s family. And I give him all the credit for the way that he handled his family’s company and fixed things in the end. I don’t imagine Jessie would have been a big fan of him putting her sister-in-law out of business. So I’m glad he showed what a good guy he was and we got to have the happy ending we wanted to see.
What did you think of Twas the Date Before Christmas? Is this one that you will add to your list of favorites? Will you watch it over and over? What did you think of the chemistry between Jessie and Bryan? And what did you think of Jessie’s family and their Christmas traditions? Did you like the way things came together and ended? Find and follow us on Instagram, X, Threads, and Facebook to discuss all things Twas the Date Before Christmas! And be sure to check out our site for more articles, quizzes, podcasts, and other content on all things Disney and beyond!
