During this time of the year, the best, biggest, and most ambitious movies grace the screens. Not the Oscar season but the stretch when streaming services are filled with brightly lit, thinly disguised advertisements for the year's new Christmas movies. With over 100 new Christmas films to choose from this holiday season, one's reaction depends on their love for the festive. Sabrina, a self-proclaimed Christmas freak, asked her colleagues to watch some of the available new holiday movies. Our second movie in the lineup is Christmas in the Spotlight, Lifetime's adaptation of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's real-life romance.

Dive into the Celebrity Christmas Rom-Com

Starting the Journey

Sabrina Imbler welcomes her colleagues to watch what might be the celebrity singer-athlete Christmas rom-com of the season. She knows a lot about Christmas but little about the real-life stars. Each person shares their starting point and relationship with Travis and Taylor.Dan McQuade, an NFL enthusiast, learned about their relationship through osmosis. He sees similarities between NFL and Taylor Swift fans and even had a fun experience at a Swiftie cover band. He also has a cat named Detective John Munch and thinks his cat deserves a Wikipedia page.Alex Sujong Laughlin, a fan of Taylor Swift but not football, went to the Eras Tour last year and is familiar with her lore. He enjoyed watching their relationship unfold but has no other strong opinions.Kelsey McKinney, a fan of Taylor Swift's tours and football, feels this movie represents flyover state culture. She is an Eagles fan and only cares about Jason Kelce in a similar way she might care about new snakes at the zoo.

The Movie Portrayal

Sabrina wonders how faithfully the movie portrays Taylor and Travis. They had to change names, but she was intrigued by how the characters were mapped onto the real people. Dan wished the characters' names were revealed earlier.Alex found the most bizarre part to be seeing the Taylor Swift universe through a different lens. There were scenes that felt like royalty-free versions of her songs and a funhouse mirror effect.Dan also commented on the football in the movie. The quarterback brother wasn't a strong Jason Kelce analogue, and there were inconsistencies in Gonzo's fame and salary. The movie was filmed on a Canadian football field, adding to its uniqueness.Kelsey pointed out the struggle the movie had in understanding fame. They wanted to make Bowyn the biggest star but had some contradictions in the story.

Fun Moments and Details

There were several enjoyable moments. One was when Gonzo caught a touchdown in an extra-large end zone. Another was the reference to Princess Diana wearing an Eagles jacket in Philadelphia.The movie also had some forced Christmas references, like Gonzo being given a Santa costume. And the conspicuous brunches where people pointed but didn't give special treatment to Bowyn.Kelsey mentioned the actress playing Kylie Kelce, who is a well-known influencer. And the frequent use of beachy waves in the movie added to its Lifetime movie universe feel.Dan was confused by the puzzle scene and wondered about the tradition in the Bowyn/Gonzo world.

The Character's Struggles

Bowyn faced various trials and tribulations, like vengeful ex-boyfriends. There was the fake Kanye phone call scene, which was a clear reference to a past event.Kelsey noted how good the pandemic was for Taylor Swift and how it rewrote her story in the movie. Bowyn was portrayed as a really good person, performing at a hospital for children with cancer.Alex wished for a version of the movie that explored how the relationship would help Bowyn's career.

Final Thoughts

After watching the movie, the group shared their opinions. Alex enjoyed it like bad Halloween candy, Dan took many notes and enjoyed it, and Kelsey watched it like a one-on-one date on The Bachelor and had fun shit-talking.Sabrina ended with a light-hearted comment about a rich football boyfriend giving a puzzle piece. And she mentioned that there's a second NFL-inspired Christmas romance movie coming out next week.