Sports movies and cheesy romance films collided when Hallmark’s latest film aired on Nov. 30th. Hallmark reached a new audience with the introduction of their new Christmas special. Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story came out right on time for Christmas. In the movie, fans can expect almost every Hallmark aspect, including the trademark predictable yet still entertaining romance. And to kick off the holiday season, even football fans can enjoy the cheesy romance film.
The movie centers on Alana Higman (played by Hunter King), and her family, who are all Kansas City Chiefs superfans. They own a Chiefs themed store, where they sell team merchandise, and their family has a magical Chiefs winter hat that they wear during the Christmas football game. Alana enters a Fan of the Year contest in hopes of winning an award for her family as a Christmas gift. Derrick Taylor (played by Tyler Hynes), the Chiefs director of fan engagement, is the person who has to go interview the finalists for the contest: Alana’s family.
Feelings of comfort and unity arise from the closeness of the onscreen family, which creates a warm feeling welcomed by all viewers. With lots of football spirit for all the sports fans, and all the romance for Hallmark fans, many thought the movie would appeal to all audiences and thus be a big success. Sports fans can feel connected to the good luck charms within the film, such as the family’s magical Christmas hat, and the various cameos littered throughout the film, including fan favorite, Donna Kelce. However, many fans were left disappointed with how little Christmas cheer there was.
With the main focus of the movie being football, and family, it’s almost as if Christmas isn’t the main theme, which is a trademark of the studio loved dearly by all Hallmark fans. Generally, the audience is split: Hallmark fans are unhappy, but sports fans are content. The movie’s reviews are mixed, proving that when studios try to appeal to everyone’s tastes, they’ll inevitably end up alienating some of their audience. Hallmark fans will likely feel a disconnect from the original Christmas movies the studio is known for. Fans are missing the delight of a classic Christmas romance trope, where Christmas was the main point.
Though technically a Christmas movie, Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story feels like it belongs in the Thanksgiving genre. If it had come out earlier in November, perhaps it would have a higher rating. The film overall wasn’t entirely disappointing. There was still the thrill of a romance story, and there were enough sports references for every sports fan. Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story is still an exciting watch, as long as the viewer isn’t setting their expectations too high.
