Christmas Do-Over

Kevin (Jay Mohr) is visiting his ex-wife, Jill (Daphne Zuniga) and their young son at her parents' house on Christmas Day. He arrives late and he shopped at the last minute for his son, too. To add insult to injury, he is rude and catty with his ex-in-laws and the new cardiologist boyfriend of Jill. Nevertheless, his young son, Ben, is so happy to see him that he proudly announces at dinnertime that he, Ben, wishes every day was Christmas. A soft breeze seems to blow through the dining room, but, it doesn't change Kevin's attitude. He continues to be rude through the caroling and the street fair. Nevertheless, when Kevin wakes up the next day, he is there at the doorstep of his in-laws, present in hand and having to live the day over again. Will Kevin learn something the second, third, or fourth (and more) time around? This is a fun family movie, with plenty of laughs and good performances. Mohr and Zuniga are experts as the quarreling ex-mates who still might harbor feelings for each other. How nice to see Adrienne Barbeau again, too, as she gives a nice turn as Jill's mother. The production values, the costumes, and the scenery are all top notch, too. One little caution: there is an unusual scene involving a live nativity scene, where Kevin has a run-in with Joseph. BUT, the most important part of this film is its theme. Most of us do not get a chance to relive Christmas Day or any other day and learn from our mistakes. The best thing we can do is to try and live every day as if it were our last chance to do good for those around us and for ourselves. With that in mind, Christmas Do-Over should be a new classic for the season that deserves a re-run at holiday time and a DVD release. Families everywhere will laugh at the antics but will also recognize the important realities of decision making that is the heart of the film.

The last reviewer said it was a remake of Groundhog day or a rip off and that's not true. This film is a remake of Christmas Everyday which is a film i grew up with and stars Erik Von Detton was aimed more at teenagers. It's a funnier film and has a warmth to it. This film however lacks snow, and likable characters at first. This is one of the shows I catch every year on ABC Family Channel as well as Christmas Everyday. However this isn't as good as the original, and lacks a little bit of warmth and charm that the original had. The only funny thing really about the movie is Jay Mohr, who it's kind fun to see go crazy and psychotic. It was nice to see Daphne Zuniga in something new, but other than that it's average at best.

I was not about to say "Groundhog Day for Christmas," as one poster has noted that the "do-over" concept has been done before. I recall a short dramatic piece called 12:01 PM that was later turned into a film that was quite good. However, when you take a concept from another comedy film and almost plagiarize the thing, we need to talk.

This brings us to the abysmal "Christmas Do-Over." I don't normally review TV movies, but the whole thing was appalling. Jay Mohr plays a divorced father spending Christmas with his former in laws. Jay Mohr has a cynical view towards Christmas, contempt for his ex-wife's new boyfriend, and is not the most successful father. He starts to repeat Christmas over and over and comedy supposedly ensues.

This is where the film gets very uncreative, delivering events that are like Groundhog Day hand me downs. Like Groundhog Day, Mohr starts by making a sham of the holiday, tries to kill himself, starts to do things right, then has a day where he helps people, impresses, and puts on a break dance show at a fair following repeated days of practice. It's kinda like playing the piano, if you get my drift. Characters even spout out lines that sound like they were lifted from Groundhog Day. Trust me, it's bad.

Then there's the casting. This is an impressive set here. Given, the actors aren't A-list, but are talented. All do a fine job. Jay Mohr seems as though he was either horribly miscast or badly directed. Given this script, he may have just not cared. The problem is that he is not able to ever be likable, even when he's doing things right. Groundhog Day was successful because even though Bill Murray's character was slime at the beginning, we still had a desire to follow him and watch him grow. The writing on that film had a lot of heart. This film does not. Jay Mohr never achieves a believable likability to make the premise of the film connect with its viewers.

The only good point I'll say about this film is that there are occasional bits of humor that are good. Most notably, a comment made by Jay Mohr's team of dancers as they win a competition against some people acting out the Nativity. There's a great one liner. But a one liner does not make a good movie. Originality does. Not recommended.

Take the plot of GROUNDHOG DAY, in which Bill Murray has to do the same day over and over again until he finally gets it right, remaking himself, in the process, from a surly lout into a genuinely caring individual. Change the setting from a real Punxatawney, Pennsylvania to a stand-in-for-everywhere, ill-defined location. Replace brilliant comic lead Bill Murray will talented Jay Mohr and some good supporting actors like Daphne Zuniga and Ruta Lee. Sprinkle liberally with many of the identical incidents from the original movie, changed slightly to fit the different holiday and avoid lawsuits and replace top comedy director Harold Ramis with someone I've never heard of before and you get a dull TV movie. Don't bother with this one, folks.

An obvious "homage" to Groundhog's Day with not so obvious results. This movie takes chances and succeeds. Jay Mohr ("Action" and "Jerry McQuire") is great as the down-on-his-luck Dad who gets many "Do-Overs" until he wins his wife and family back. Not only does he see the error in his ways, he becomes a better a person. Isn't that what the holiday season all about - a time to reflect upon past, both good and bad!? Daphne Zuniga ("Melrose Place," "Sure Thing") is sensitive and funny. Grandma, Adrienne Barbeau ("Escape from New York"...need I say more) and Grandpa, Tim Thomerson ("Volunteers"), are wonderfully comedic sidekicks playing it very dry.

All in all, this movie may not be for everyone (there is belching and fighting), but the heart is in the right place. Similar to Groundhog's Day, Family Man, etc., the chance for a self-centered man to see his life inside-out to gain a greater perspective is always entertaining and sentimental this time of year.