On November 23, 2024, Lifetime premiered 'Christmas in the Spotlight', which has received predominantly positive reviews from critics. Loosely based on the Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce love story, the film focuses on "a popular singer who develops an unexpected romance with Drew, a professional football player. As their feelings grow, they soon face mounting pressure from the press, the paparazzi, fans, and even their families." The ensemble cast includes Jessica Lord, Laith Wallschleger, Jeannie Mai, David Pinard, and Haley Kalil. But what did the critics say?
Luna Guthrie of Collider says, "It tells the story of a pop star and a football player who fall in love over the holiday season, and struggle with the pressures of fame before conceding that their relationship is the most important thing. Is it original? No. Does it feature every single cliché of the rom-com genre? Absolutely. But with a decent script, some nice chemistry between its actors and just the right amount of sweetness, it manages to be a thoroughly enjoyable bit of Christmas fluff that is perfect for kicking off the season." Adding, "Watching this as a kick-starter to the holiday season, I was hoping for lots of atmospheric elements that would lend the appropriate mood to Christmas In The Spotlight, but it wasn't quite there. There is an attitude of throwing a bunch of Christmas trees into a shot and calling it a day, when what it could really do with is more of those frosty nighttime sequences with visible breath, where the characters are all bundled up while decorative lights twinkle in the background. I was supremely shocked that we didn't get a romantic 'kissing in the snow' sequence. It may be corny, but it's all these small things that come together to make a holiday rom-com extra seasonal, and that is what the movie is really missing. Despite taking place over Thanksgiving and eventually Christmas, it just doesn't feel Christmassy enough."
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| Photo by Monika Grabkowska on Unsplash |
Emma Stefansky of
The Daily Beast notes, "The dialogue is peppered with Swiftian groaners, like the moment when Bowyn self-deprecatingly describes herself as “never the cheerleader type, more of a bleacher girl.” The only news program in this movie’s world is run by two catty sports commentators, one of whom notes, “The alchemy between these two is off the charts.” Har-har. The two immediately present themselves as even more idealized versions of their real-world counterparts. Bowyn is Swift if Swift could also dance like
Tate McRae. Drew is Kelce as the Swifties love to imagine him: the beefy, affable, affectionate himbo whose only calling on this earth is to make our beloved pop star happy. “You need someone in your life whose sole purpose is to show you a good time,” he declares. Don’t we all!" Concluding, "Innocuous conversations recorded on the sly become PR crises. Your favorite pop star isn’t feeling up to performing. Your favorite football team keeps losing. Is it, perhaps, because of the intense pressure we ourselves put upon these people—even more when they just happen to be romantically involved? A movie like this is ostensibly made for the fans, and yet it’s bold enough to propose that maybe we should all, ahem, calm down."
