'Twas the Night Before Christmas

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.

7.2 stars.

Several movie actors decide to put on a broadway play about a courtroom drama depicting who was the true author of 'Twas the Night Before Christmas'. If you research it, there is question of who really authored it, however it seems pretty clear to me, or at least there is a logical conclusion. But you never know...

This is a fresh new spin on Hallmark stories, the characters are cut from a different cloth so to speak, it's not a Christmas story as much as a testament of what an off Broadway type of production might be like in the real world with a bunch of wannabes and a few of the genuine article. It's an interesting take on it, and I gotta say, I'm sold. It's sparkling with strange humor, and strange personalities, and weird innuendo and obvious Hollywood meets Broadway clashing and whatever else it represents for which I really have no idea, I'm just totally shoveling out a bunch of random words right now, but it sounds good to me. Give it a whirl, you will probably be at least mildly entertained.

I'll watch this again in a few years, maybe twice a decade.

This story is totally different from most of the Halmark Christmas romance movies, but it still has some echoes of a few of those romance stories. After all, there is a Christmas performance that brings together two old flames to rekindle their past. But the trial setting with the objective of shedding light on the true authorship of a Christmas iconic tradition is unusual and there is some mysticism thrown in with the appearance of a ghost.

The acting is good. The dialog is sparkling. There are twists and turns. Did anyone predict the outcome of the trial even if the outcome of the relationship was predictable? I did expect one thing involving Madison even if it didn't occur to me how that would happen. That was clever. And the chemistry between Torrey DeVito and Zone Holtz was excellent.

This was a good climax to Hallmark Channel's 2022 lineup.

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.