Christmas Do-Over

Sure, we've seen Ground Hog's Day before, but isn't it always a case of the "Emperor's New Clothing." The casting is great. Jay Mohr is acerbic, endearing and flat out funny! Daphne Zuniga is always a treat. And great to see supporting cast with Tim Thomerson and Adrienne Barbeau. Again, you've seen it before, this time more funny! The blend between humor and drama (there are moments between Jay and Daphne that have you in tears laughing, then crying). Kudos to ABC Family for not giving us the same, saccharine sweet, dramatic Christmas movie we see every year. Definitely better than everything I have seen this year (did you see "Deck the Halls" which requires paid admission). Save your money and tune in. This one has attitude. All and All a 9/10. Well done!

You know when a record keeps skipping and you hear the same thing over and over and over and nothing happens? Consider this movie a Barry Manilow LP that skips for 2 hours. Jay Mohr is a guy that hates xmas and has to relive the same xmas every day until he gets it right. You will hate xmas after seeing this movie.

Go with Groundhog Day instead. This movie rips it off in every way possible, but lacks Bill Murray's genius, a sun shy mammal, and a funny script. Phenomenally terrible in every aspect.

My girlfriend says I need to say something nice and not be such a grinch, because it "does have a positive message and is very sweet and family oriented" but the bottom line is that it's like watching Santa & Mrs. Claus get hot and heavy after a long night of present delivery...not a pretty sight.

It's insulting to anyone with taste that movies like this even make it onto cable.

An obvious "do-over" of Groundhog's Day, where a foolish man is shown the error of his ways by being doomed to repeat a day again and again (this time Christmas), until he gets the message and changes. This movie can be difficult to watch, unless you enjoy an anti-hero with no apparent redeeming qualities.

There's a vague parallel to Scrooge, too, except in Scrooge's case you rapidly learn that there's a great deal of suffering in his heart, and there is a good man locked inside somewhere. When confronted with the truth about himself, he repents, and changes. No such case in "Do-Over."

Why his ex and her folks put up with this vile self-absorbed slimeball on Christmas is anyone's guess. All he does is create trouble and make a jerk of himself, hurling sarcastic mockeries at anyone in sight. He shows no human feeling or positive qualities, at all. Why does his kid want him around? From action that occurs early on, you learn even his kid means nothing to him. Even when magic steps in and locks him in this endless cycle, he still doesn't learn. Instead, he exploits the process to hurt everyone even more. Naturally, he gets in fist fights with Christmas icons such as Santa Claus and a Nativity scene Joseph. His self confrontation process is painfully slow, if it occurs at all. It appears he manipulates events only for the selfish intent of escaping the do-over cycle.

The only value to the movie are the performances of the victims of this guy--they are really an endearing bunch of people, endowed with patience and kindness that gives the movie what level of Christmas cheer it does have. A nice cast overall; I liked all the family members. Even the actor playing the jerk is good; too bad the script didn't give him something better to work with.

If you find mean-spirited thugs funny, you'll find this guy hilarious. He makes Scrooge and the Grinch seem like Santa's elves by comparison. However, if you want a movie with a cheerful, positive Christmas spirit, see "Miracle on 34th St.," "Wonderful Life," or "Scrooge." But not this.

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.

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.