'Twas the Date Before Christmas

Name: 'Twas the Date Before Christmas
Genre: Christmas, New Year's, Suburb, Fake Relationship, Mistaken Identity
Released: 2024-01-01
Duration: 1 h 24 min
Rating: 6.9
Cast: Percy Anane-Dwumfour, Robert Buckley, Amy Groening, Conni Miu, Chad Andrews

6.9/10 · 1,746 ratings20241h 24mChristmasWeirdness 5/10Bingo card

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The premise

To prevent her family from canceling the "Chamberlain Family Christmas Olympics," Jessie (Groening) lies and says she's inviting a date to the long-standing holiday tradition.

Themes:second chances grief and healing family traditions community and small businesses honesty letting go of the past

How unusual is it?

Middle of the road, with a twist — a fake relationship and mistaken identity keep it from being totally by-the-book.

Who’s in it

Our Girl

Amy Groening

as Jessie

The Lead

Robert Buckley

as Bryan

Alongside them

Show all 15 cast

Behind the camera

Show

Directed by

Wait, what?

The quirks and curveballs that make this one a little weirder than your average Hallmark. No spoilers, promise.

A family celebrates Christmas with a full-day Christmas Olympics featuring a hidden star hunt, wrap battle, bake-off, snowball dodgeball, and carol-oke.
A dating-app blind date accidentally matches Jessie with the man whose company is threatening her sister-in-law’s shop.
The movie includes joke cryptocurrency names like MerryCrypto and SleighBitCoins.
The family uses a competition wheel to randomly assign holiday events and takes the games extremely seriously.

Every trope, all in one place

Here’s everything this one has going on, from the setting to the way it wraps up. Tap any of the 37 to find more movies that do the same thing.

How it all plays out

Already seen it, or just can’t wait? Open this up for the whole story, ending included.

Full story (spoilers)

Jessie Chamberlain is determined to keep Christmas from becoming a lonely, sad reminder of the fiancé she lost, Shawn. Her family is already debating whether to simplify their traditional Chamberlain Christmas celebrations, and Jessie panics when she realizes that if she shows up alone, the day will feel like a defeat. At the same time, Bryan Mattison is dealing with pressure at his family’s development company and an order that could force Warm Heart Candles out of its building. To solve her own problem, Jessie changes her dating profile to say she is looking for someone willing to join her family on Christmas Eve as a first date. Bryan responds, intrigued by the unusual request and by the promise of a memorable holiday story, and the two agree to meet. Jessie immediately tells her family that she is bringing someone, and when Bryan arrives, everyone assumes he is her boyfriend, which pushes the lie into motion. Bryan is quickly folded into the Chamberlain Family Christmas Olympics, a full-day competition with a hidden-tree-star hunt, wrap battle, bake-off, snowball dodgeball, and carol-oke. He is charmed by the family chaos, and Jessie is surprised by how easily he fits in. The more time they spend together, the more the fake date feels real, especially as Bryan reveals that he wants to lead his company in a more thoughtful way and Jessie admits she is still struggling to move forward after Shawn. The central complication hits when Bryan realizes that the candle shop his company plans to evict is Warm Heart Candles, the business owned by Shelly, who is deeply woven into Jessie’s family life and the community. Jessie learns the truth, the family erupts, and Bryan has to admit that he knew about the connection and handled it badly. Jessie is hurt, Bryan feels like he has ruined the day, and the holiday nearly collapses under the weight of the lie and the eviction notice. After Jessie opens the letter Shawn left for her to read on her first Christmas without him, she finally lets herself acknowledge that moving on does not mean forgetting. Bryan comes back with a concrete solution: redesigning the development so the building keeps ground-floor retail space, giving Shelly a temporary pop-up location and the first right of refusal for her current space when construction is done. Don agrees, the family rallies, the Christmas light show succeeds, and Jessie and Bryan end the night by admitting they want to know each other better and by agreeing to a real date on New Year’s Eve.

Beat by beat

Opening
Jessie struggles with grief over Shawn and with the fear of spending Christmas alone while the Chamberlain family debates changing its long-standing holiday traditions. At the same time, Bryan is under pressure at Mattison Developing, where a redevelopment plan threatens Warm Heart Candles.
Inciting incident
Jessie posts a dating-profile request for someone willing to attend her family Christmas as a first date, and Bryan responds. They meet as a blind date and head into Jessie’s family gathering together.
Rising action
Jessie tells her family she is bringing a boyfriend, so Bryan is forced into the Chamberlain Christmas Olympics. The two bond through the day’s games and traditions while their fake relationship starts to feel genuine.
Midpoint
Bryan discovers that his company is connected to the eviction of Warm Heart Candles, which is deeply important to Jessie’s family. The revelation turns the romance into a conflict between his job and her trust.
Conflict escalates
The truth about the blind date and the eviction comes out, causing family tension and hurt feelings. Jessie also confronts her grief for Shawn and how afraid she is of changing her life.
Climax
Bryan returns with a revised development plan that preserves Shelly’s candle shop and keeps the project community-friendly. Don approves the plan, and the family’s holiday chaos shifts back into celebration with the Christmas light show.
Resolution
Jessie accepts that she can love Shawn’s memory and still move forward. She and Bryan admit their feelings, recognize that they want a real relationship, and agree to go on an actual first date on New Year’s Eve.

37 tropes in one movie

We counted 37 distinct Hallmark tropes packed into this one — a genuine greatest-hits reel.

How it stacks up

Where this one’s rating lands against every other rated Hallmark movie.

Higher-rated than 87% of every rated Hallmark movie. The median is 6.4.

Where this one fits

The corners of the catalog 'Twas the Date Before Christmas belongs to — handy if you’re after more of the same.

BINGOTwo characters fake being a coupleSomeone hunts for a hidden tree starA blind date is pulled into family gamesA cute dog or catA gift-wrapping speed contest eruptsA walk-and-talk through townSet in the suburbsThe town pulls together for one of its ownA character loses their memoryA scenic spot becomes their meeting placeA big event everyone is preparing forA joke cryptocurrency gets hyped★A heart-to-heart on a porch or benchA big public romantic gestureA crafting or DIY scenePlans get derailed by the weatherA warm hug that lingersA nervous voicemail goes unsentA charming local cafe or dinerThe love interest is a executiveA developer eyes the candle shop buildingA best friend who has all the answersA calendar reminder raises the stakesSomeone decorates a Christmas tree

Hallmark Bingo

Your 'Twas the Date Before Christmas card is dealt.

Twenty-four squares pulled from this movie’s own quirks — the cosy classics, a few only-in-this-one curveballs, and a couple of decoys. Mark them as you watch.

Open your card

Lines worth quoting

The lines that stuck with us — the ones you’ll be repeating after the credits roll.

“A blind date on Christmas. Fun, right?”
— Shelly ChamberlainShelly reacts to Jessie’s plan to bring a stranger to the family Christmas gathering.
“The wheel has spoken.”
— Aunt Lilly ChamberlainLilly declares the first Christmas Olympics event after spinning the competition wheel.
“I really want to get to know you more.”
— Jessie ChamberlainJessie finally tells Bryan she wants a real relationship after the holiday chaos.
“This has been the best Christmas I've ever had.”
— Bryan MattisonBryan admits how much the day has meant to him before asking Jessie out for a real date.
“You're always my baby.”
— Laura ChamberlainLaura comforts Jessie as she processes Shawn, grief, and the idea of moving forward.

Meet the characters

Who’s who before you press play. Nothing here gives the ending away.

Jessie Chamberlain
Lead
fiber optics marketing professional
organizedguardedlovingwittytradition-bound
Bryan Mattison
Love interest
interim CEO of Mattison Developing
Jessie’s blind date and eventual romantic partner
charmingcuriousthoughtfuladaptiveethical
Don
Antagonist
executive at Mattison Developing
Bryan’s business superior and the man behind the eviction notice
pragmaticauthoritativecautiouscorporate
Aunt Lilly Chamberlain
Comic relief
family event planner
Jessie’s aunt and the architect of the Christmas Olympics
competitiveeccentricorganizedforceful
Grandpop
Comic relief
retired
Jessie’s grandfather and a recurring family observer
bluntplayfulfestivefood-loving
Laura Chamberlain
Supporting
Jessie’s mother
nurturingsentimentalsupportiveperceptive
Marcus Chamberlain
Supporting
family cook
Jessie’s stepfather
warmpracticalcompetitivemeticulous
Shelly Chamberlain
Supporting
candle shop owner
Jessie’s sister-in-law and the owner of Warm Heart Candles
caringcommunity-mindedanxiouspractical
Andrew Chamberlain
Supporting
Jessie’s brother
sarcasticcompetitiveloyalprotective
Shawn
Supporting
Jessie’s late fiancé whose death still shapes her grief
lovingencouragingpatientthoughtful

Questions people ask about 'Twas the Date Before Christmas

Where can I watch 'Twas the Date Before Christmas?

'Twas the Date Before Christmas is available via fuboTV, Philo, and Hallmark+ Amazon Channel. Streaming options change often, so check current availability before settling in.

How long is 'Twas the Date Before Christmas?

'Twas the Date Before Christmas runs about 1 hour and 24 minutes, and was released in 2024.

Is 'Twas the Date Before Christmas a Christmas movie?

Yes. 'Twas the Date Before Christmas is a Hallmark Christmas movie, set during the holiday season.

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