Taylor-ed For Christmas, Quite A Travis-ty
- w v
- Dec 3, 2024
- 3 min read
Updated: Dec 4, 2024
Two imminently skippable Christmas travesties inspired by the real-life romance of celebrity power couple, Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce
Many love stories have been fictionalised reality, but few movies are as wasted a premise as Christmas In the Spotlight. This new Lifetime Original, inspired by singer-songwriter Taylor Swift and American football player Travis Kelce’s romance, had all the makings of a blockbuster romcom, but it fails at so many levels that it’s condemned to be just another holiday release.
A mega pop star, Bowyn Sykes (Jessica Lord), at the height of her career, who only dates “serious actors and indie rockers,” meets Drew Gonville (Laith Wallschleger), one of the best wide receivers in the football league, backstage at a concert and they fall for each other.
What could have been a well-embellished, well-written romcom turns out to be a disappointing series of unfolding events where the only conflict in the story is fame and its paraphernalia. While that is an interesting conflict for a love story, the character wounds are not suitably explored to create a full-bodied script with this conflict intricately woven in. In fact, the characters seem so underdeveloped and the writing so superficial, that nothing makes us want to root for the lovers. The lead pair has negligible on-screen chemistry to boot.
No amount of easter eggs (and there are plenty) or masqueraded song lyrics in the screenplay can salvage this mishap of a romcom. Christmas In The Spotlight is barely a one-time watch, even if you’re a Swifty or a Kelce fan.
Hallmark Channel’s Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story gets points for actually exploring a love story, but it is centred around the Chiefs’ franchise, making it more of a marketing gimmick than an honest romcom. The film does not reflect the Taylor-Travis high-profile relationship at all, so the claims of being “inspired” by their romance are debatable.
Alana Higman (Hunter King) and her family’s history as Kansas City Chiefs superfans makes them a frontrunner in the Kansas City Chiefs’ ‘Fan of the Year’ contest. Derrick Taylor (Tyler Hynes), Director of Fan Engagement, is tasked with evaluating how the Higman family stacks up against the other two finalists. Love blossoms as the duo spends time together. But when her grandfather’s vintage Chiefs good-luck winter hat goes missing, Alana goes berserk, not only questioning her belief in fate, but also her romantic future with Derrick.
While this presents itself as the much needed conflict in the syrupy sweet film, questioning her new relationship due to a lost winter hat borders on the ridiculous. Neither the hat nor her entry into the contest has brought Derrick into Alana’s world, it was his visit to the neighbourhood diner, Norma & Nic’s. Sheer coincidence, as it were.
The story is reminiscent of The Zoya Factor, an Indian movie based on a best-selling novel by Anuja Chauhan. Zoya, born on the day that India won its first ever Cricket World Cup title, is considered a lucky charm for the Indian cricket team and falls in love with its captain. The story uses India’s cricket craze to deliver an entertainer by effectively pitting superstition versus strategy and self-belief versus luck.
Similarly, Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story had all the makings of a richly layered story. But it leaves you remarkably disappointed.
Clearly miscast, actor Hunter King’s animated performance is off-putting, which could be attributed to lack of good direction. Then again, there’s only so much a director can do if the lead pair has zero chemistry. The actors playing the Higman family, even the quirky neighbourhood characters, are well-cast and quite entertaining.
The film features Donna Kelce (Travis Kelce’s mother), Andy Reid (the team’s head coach), and current Kansas City Chiefs players Mecole Hardman, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, and George Karlaftis.
Whether or not you’re a Kansas City Chiefs fan, you can skip this insipid film. It’s pretty much a waste of time.
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