'Twas the Night Before Christmas

The leads in this are great but not as great as the unique and interesting concept for their Christmas play...a court case over who actually wrote 'Twas The Night Before Christmas.

'Twas the night before Christmas had a different title and was published anonymously originally, then it was published under the name Clement C. Moore...but some argue that it was really written by a man named Livingston.

Madison Rush is a famous actress, but wants to try her hat at directing. She gathers an old acting friend and single dad, Connor Avery to play the male lead and lawyer. And is forced to use her backer's girlfriend for the female lead...which really stretches her directing chops.

The best thing about this holiday romance is the romantic notion that two ghosts are really fighting to prove that they wrote the now famous poem.

This was fun and unique. I recommend watching if you are a big fan of Christmas movies.

Torrey Devitto is fast becoming one of my favorite Hallmark actresses. She's beautiful, talented, and often plays smart, strong, assertive women (loved her move at the very end). I enjoyed watching her in Rip in Time, The Christmas Promise and Write Before Christmas. Hallmark rookie Zane Holtz, who played Connor, was solid too.

I just watched a movie where extreme close-ups just didn't work. But here there is an extreme close-up of Torrey Devitto in an early kitchen scene and she just lights up the screen. In fairness, Holtz nailed his close up too with his line about "our kiss in Christmas Time Cupid was my favorite on screen kiss".

This was directed by Gary Yates who also directed some of my favorite Hallmark movies: Christmas by Starlight; On the 12th Date of Christmas; Once Upon a Christmas Miracle; Pearl in Paradise; A Dream of Christmas; A Bride for Christmas; and Taylor Cole's winter trilogy.

Richard Waugh, with his portrayal of Henry Livingston, Jr., and Shaun Austin-Olsen, with his portrayal of Clement Clark Moore were terrific. Truly outstanding. And the movie actually did a nice job of including a lot of the competing facts regarding the contested authorship of the famous poem (although the writer put his thumb on the scale at the end, presumably due to time constraints).

Amanda Barker is fun as B&B Edna who has a crush on Connor.

Sophie Bastelle did a great job with the thankless task of playing an actress who supposedly can't act (which was reminiscent of the set up in Bullets Over Broadway).

There are a lot of fun lines by writer C. Jay Cox, who also wrote Sweet Home Alabama, last year's great Hallmark movie Love Strikes Twice, and this year's wonderful Rip in Time:

When Conner walks into the theater for the first time, Hayley looks at him and says to Madison: "To what should my wondering eyes appear?" which is taken right from the poem for which the movie is named.

Hayley: "You said you'd let me know what Conner and you find" Madison: "He's helping me do research" Hayley: "Carrying your books to class?" Madison: "Aren't you too busy for misguided innuendo?" Hayley: "One should never be too busy for innuendo" Madison: "Misguided" Hayley: "You have your version, I have mine"

Madison: "I took this play to give myself a challenge, and Lena is a challenge" Hayley: "I admire your affinity for understatement"

Connor: "She doesn't need to be Meryl Streep, she just needs to say her lines and not bump into the furniture"

Hayley: "And that marks the end of my 15 minute human interaction break"

And the exchanges between the "lawyers" and the witnesses were well written and well performed. The mock trial that the movie is based on is called "The Trial Before Christmas". It was written by Duncan Crary and Jack Casey and was first staged in Troy's historic downtown courthouse in 2013, and then again in 2014. But this movie, as with most Hallmark movies, was filmed in Canada.

I grade Hallmark movies on a curve, so this is an easy 10 for me.

My favorite movie of the 2022 season! This is the most inventive, interest Christmas plot I believe I have ever seen. I love the research and information on Clement Clark Moore and Henry Livingston Jr. And the etymology of the famous poem about St. Nick. The inner workings of the production of a play seemed real life, with producer's opinions, improvisation, missing in action actors, actors struggling with how to act, and the play's longevity. Torrey DeVitto and Zane Holtz are fantastic actors. Their chemistry is beyond explosive!

'Twas the Night Before Christmas Summary Madison is directing a play that she co-wrote debating the authorship of the famous poem, 'Twas the Night Before Christmas. The play, called "The Trial Before Christmas," debates the true authorship of the famous Christmas poem with Connor & Lena playing opposing representation counsels of Clemet C. Moore & Henry Livingston Jr. The play will premiere on Christmas Eve in the very town that the poem was anonymous published back in 1823.

Madison and Connor set off to research even more about the authorship and etymology of the poem's authorship to add layers to the production and encounter the ghosts of Henry Livingston Jr. And Clement Clark Moore, teach them about pursuing their own passions and one another.

"I never wanted a name put to it at all. My poem is a celebration of Christmas magic. I wanted my children, all children, to experience that Christmas magic as if it might come from Saint Nicholas himself." -Major Henry Livingston Jr.

MeetCute Madison and Connor are actors who co-starred and kissed in a movie, Christmastime Cupid.

Connor finds Madison on the Victorian streets dressed as a Victorian man with an accent and Madison is very happy to see him! They are good friends as well as fellow actors.

'Twas The Night Before Christmas (2022) -

What a great and fresh concept for a seasonal film. It still had a lot of the traditional motif's and the heart of the usual films, as well as a couple of the typical hammy and cheesy bits and the romance, while not as prominent, was still cute, but it also brought something educational and diverse.

I liked Torrey DeVitto as Madison and I liked Zane Holtz in the role of Connor too. I particularly liked his fantastic chest, which filled the room, let alone his tops, but I really enjoyed the slow build up of their relationship, because it was easy, pleasant and uncomplicated. The drama element was played out in the rest of the film.

I did find it hard to believe that Madison. Would be asked to make, and would achieve, so many changes to a play just ten days before opening night. I thought that it would be very unlikely. Most of that was due to the character of Lena (Sophie Bastelle) and her boyfriend, both of whom were a bit stupid.

In general though, I loved the idea of a play that covered a real trial, one which I was totally unaware of.

I love Christmas in all its forms and it's mythologies, so it was really interesting and enjoyable to discover that the origins of 'Twas The Night Before Christmas' had been in contention. I had always thought it to be written by Clement Clark Moore and I'd had no idea that it might actually have been created by Major Henry Livingston Jr., whom I had never heard of at all.

The point is that they delivered a really clever story here and without compromising any of the other values that are the staples of this genre.

I thought it was great. I look forward to watching it again to pick up anything that I might have missed this time around.

7.5/10.

This movie stepped way outside of Hallmark's normal formula elements from start to end. Great acting, Great Production, Overall excellent quality and just plain fun to watch. Hallmark and their poor competitor GAC often produce movies which are just plain boring and poorly done and this is not one of them. Several original elements here which I won't go into as they would be spoilers.

Only one small complaint, but not enough to lower the rating -- there are several places in the movie where the soundtrack overpowers the actors making it hard to hear. This wasn't the only Hallmark movie to do this. So, whoever does the sound mixing, please be mindful of not overpowering the dialogue.

Definitely a movie to look forward to watching again.