Movies
"The Taylor Swift-Travis Kelce Hallmark Christmas Movie Debut"
2024-11-30
It's that special time of the year again - Hallmark season! And this year, it's the second Christmas we get to share with the Swift-Kelce household. Taylor and Travis are stronger than ever, and the feel-good movie makers have been hard at work crafting their Tayvis holiday rom-coms. Last week, Lifetime kicked off the season with "Christmas in the Spotlight," and now it's Hallmark's turn with the romantic Christmas juggernaut "Holiday Touchdown," premiering on Nov. 30.

Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story (everything you need to know, right in the title)

The movie begins with a touching family history of two households united by their love for a particular football team. They sit in the same seats, their children grow up together and eventually marry, and along the way, main character Alana Higman is born. "If there was ever a child born to be the Chiefs’ number one fan, it’s me."In the present day, adult Alana (Hunter King), a die-hard Chiefs fan, has transformed a small town's main street into a Kansas City Chiefs hot spot while running her family's merchandise store. It's similar to how Willy Wonka turned his humble chocolate factory into a fantastical world for Oompa Loompas.Alana and her family are in the running to win the Chiefs’ Fan of the Year contest, but they have to get past Derrick Taylor (Tyler Hynes), the director of fan engagement and a wool-peacoat enthusiast. Despite Alana knowing more Chiefs facts than Derrick, they hit it off during the evaluation. However, there's one problem - Derrick doesn't believe in their game-day superstition, the family's magical Chiefs Christmas hat, which is said to grant the team a victory if worn on Christmas Day.This adaptation of TayTrav is quite loose. The only things really related to the celebrity couple are the characters' hair colors (Alana is blonde; Derrick is brown with a beard) and the sports team that connects them. The movie is filled with slightly uncomfortable-looking large men who I assume are Chiefs players. Travis Kelce's mom Donna Kelce also makes an appearance with multiple lines.The whole movie has that anonymous rom-com feel, with enough distance from its source material to create a unique experience. It's like those romance novels with cartoony covers that might not be about Adam Driver and Daisy Ridley but are based on edited Star Wars fan fiction.Despite not being the target audience for "Holiday Touchdown" as I'm not really into Swift, Kelce, football, or holiday-themed rom-coms, I found myself invested. The plot wasn't necessarily riveting except for one tense moment near the end, but that's not the point. The novelty of watching a movie inspired by real people but having little to do with them while starring real people who have likely hung out with the subjects was fun. I even teared up near the end at a reaction by Ed Begley, Jr. (yes, he's in this too!), which surprised me. Maybe it was the general sincerity of the movie that prepared me for such an emotional display.Hallmark Channel has once again delivered a unique holiday experience with "Holiday Touchdown." Whether you're a Hallmark Christmas rom-com girlie or not, this movie is sure to bring some holiday cheer. And if you're interested, there's a small-town general store that sells Chiefs hats.
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