He knows how to ball, she knows Aristotle — it’s a love story, baby, just say yes! Taylor Swift’s romance with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has delighted fans since day one. Swifties were just thrilled to see the pop star so open and happy.
It’s no surprise that such a public and joyous fairytale-esque relationship would spark creative endeavors like books and movies. Naturally, Hallmark and Lifetime wanted to tap into that energy with Tayvis-coded Christmas movies: Hallmark recently released “Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story” and Lifetime debuted “Christmas in the Spotlight.”
Hallmark’s contribution is less of a Swift/Kelce narrative, while Lifetime created a fictionalized version of the couple's meet-cute. Yet despite being entirely different, both movies capitalize on the popularity and fascination with their romance.
So, which movie is better? Well, that depends on what components are most important to you: narrative versus execution. As a massive Swiftie and not-so-closet corny Christmas movie lover, I watched both to help you decide whether or not you want to tune into one or both of these holiday flicks.
I think I’ve seen this film before
For Swifties looking for a close adaptation of Swift and Kelce’s love story, there’s an obvious winner: “Christmas in the Spotlight.” Bowyn (Jessica Lord) is a pop star and Drew (Laith Wallschleger) is a pro tight end. Obviously, the unlikely pair fall in love against all odds. Sound familiar? It should.
Like Swift, Bowyn has just come out of a relationship with an actor when she unexpectedly falls for Drew. It did bug me how villainized Bowyn’s ex is portrayed, though. Swift’s ex Joe Alwyn got a lot of hate and even threats after their breakup, and I don’t love the implications of playing into that dramatized version of events. We’ll never truly know what happened during their relationship, and it’s frankly none of our business. Swift certainly doesn’t need fans to fight her battles in a great war she never asked for, and narratives like this only fuel that fire.
As far as Taylor Swift Easter eggs go, “Christmas in the Spotlight” is chock-full of them. The script has a ton of homages to songs like “Love Story,” “Mean” and “All Too Well.” Some of the character names are even references to songs like “Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus” and “thanK you aIMee.” Of course, the most significant name callback is Drew himself, which is a bit of a deeper cut. “Drew looks at me” is the first line in Swift’s debut album song “Teardrops On My Guitar,” so it’s easy to see what inspired that name.
Other references include a friendship bracelet with an acronym of Bowyn’s song, Drew’s 13 jersey number (Swift’s birthday and lucky number), and the fact that Bowyn’s fans are called Arrowheads (which is frankly a pretty clumsy reference to the Chiefs’ Arrowhead Stadium). There’s even a nod to Swift’s accusation that Kim Kardashian misrepresented a phone call between Swift and Kanye West — which serves as the movie’s main drama. Suffice it to say, “Christmas in the Spotlight,” though it claims to be a fictional narrative, is definitely the closest to the real Swelce story.
As enjoyable and Tayvis-coded as “Holiday Touchdown” is, the homages to the couple are fairly subtle. Alana’s (Hunter King) family has a long history as Chiefs fans — and their season tickets sparked her parents’ own love story. The Higman family owns a Chiefs merch store and Derrick (Tyler Hynes) just so happens to be the director of fan engagement for the team.
Of course, their meet-cute happens before he has to interview her for the biggest fan competition. Add in some Christmas superstition and you’ve got yourself a movie. The whole "pop star dates football player" angle may not be there, but subtle allusions are enough to keep most Swifties happy.
Lost in a film screen
Between the two movies, there’s a clear production value winner. Sorry, Lifetime, but Hallmark bagged this particular coin toss. It’s no secret that holiday movies typically have a pretty minuscule budget. The number of goofy fake sports teams the genre boasts is sometimes enough to take you out of the story completely. In “Christmas in the Spotlight,” the Kelce-coded character Drew plays for the Bay Spring Bombers. It’s not the worst fictional team I’ve seen, but it’s not the best, either.
Meanwhile, “Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story” partnered with the NFL to not only get the rights to use the team's name, but it even features cameos from real players like Trey Smith, Mecole Hardman Jr., Clyde Edwards-Helaire, and George Karlaftis. But let’s face it: The most iconic cameo is Donna Kelce — Travis Kelce’s mother. That particular guest role essentially confirms that the movie has the Kelce family’s blessing, which is no small thing when crowning a Tayvis movie winner.
To boot, the movie wasn’t filmed in Canada or a remote location like most of the genre. Arrowhead Stadium (the Chiefs’ home base) is a massive part of the film and an integral filming location that makes it seem more authentic.
Alternatively, “Christmas in the Spotlight” feels much more like the loveably low-budget movies we’ve come to expect from the genre. And that’s not a bad thing! It’s just that the Hallmark film goes above and beyond the genre staples (is that really surprising with NFL backing?).
Bowyn’s musical performances didn’t wow me, either. Now, I wasn’t expecting Grammy-worthy original songs from a Christmas movie, but I felt like they were completely uninspired and didn’t even try to match even one of Swift’s varied styles. That’s the one area the Lifetime movie could have elevated itself and it fell flat for me (through no fault of the actress).
Do sparks fly?
The Christmas movie genre hinges on the chemistry and believability of its on-screen relationships. Setting aside the typically corny meet-cutes and copious flannel, fans need to root for the couple to be endgame or the movie falls short on its one purpose. I wanted to love “Christmas in the Spotlight,” I really did. Yet a good chunk of the scenes between Bowyn and Drew gave me so much secondhand embarrassment that I had to repeatedly pause and force myself to power through some scenes.
I hate to say it, but if I didn’t have to watch the movie, I probably would have bailed after the painfully awkward scene where the couple meets or later when Bowyn salivates over Drew’s abs and says, “You look like a sculpture.” My disdain for super uncomfy or cringey thirst-trap scenes is just a personal ick, though. If you don’t mind some secondhand embarrassment, that aspect won’t be a dealbreaker.
Additionally, the “Christmas in the Spotlight” romance feels very surface-level and lacks the depth that you might expect from a fictionalized iteration of such a high-profile relationship. There’s so much to work with as both characters contend with invasive fame and secrecy. However, the forced chemistry and lack of authentic emotional bonding made it hard for me to get invested.
Sure, the romance between Alana and Derrick in “Holiday Touchdown” isn’t perfect, but I was actively cheering for them throughout the entire movie. As much as I love Christmas movies, my commitmentphobia is bound to rear its head a few times in any gooey romance movie, so there are definitely a few awkward cringe moments for me. But I am a sucker for banter, though, and these two definitely win that category.
Ultimately, the chemistry in “Holiday Touchdown” is superior, as are the deeper personal scenes that dive beneath the surface. There’s a narrative arc where both characters learn and grow together, making the payoff more satisfying. This is, shall we say, the hallmark of a good Christmas movie.
Another name goes up in lights
I have to admit that I may be a bit biased when it comes to Tyler Hynes. I interviewed him at a Hallmark event and had the best time talking to the actor and his “Three Wise Men and Baby” co-stars. Not only did they offer me coffee while the camera crew fixed a tech issue, they seriously offered to send for chai when I said I don’t drink coffee. There’s no better way to win over a journalist at 8 a.m. than caffeine, and it’s not a common gesture.
Being a lovely person aside, Hynes definitely stands out as a Hallmark staple. His acting is always believable and he effortlessly taps into the heart of Christmas movies every time. Hunter King is also effective as the fiery Alana. Her vibe as a passionate dreamer contrasts nicely with the slightly jaded realist Derrick. All in all, both leads make the romance convincing and Alana’s quirky family adds in some awkward family dynamics that are just short of being too much.
I don’t blame the “Christmas in the Spotlight” actors for how they portray their characters. It likely has a lot to do with the script and direction. Taylor Swift is such a beloved star because she’s a combination of strong, humble, deeply caring, and frankly a lovably relatable dork. Just watch some of her cat videos and look at her old social media posts. Celebrities are just like us. None of that comes through with Bowyn, though. She feels fake more often than not, which directly contrasts Swift’s genuine authenticity.
We’re meant to see her as a kindhearted and misunderstood pop star, but none of that shines through, making her fairly one-dimensional, insincere, and unrelatable. Not all movie characters should be relatable, but that’s a pretty core component of Christmas movies. The fictional pop star’s characterization made me ambivalent toward the character, and by extension, the core relationship.
Bowyn’s baller boyfriend Drew is somewhat more charming — between his adorable dynamic with his niece and his wholesome approach to love. However, his bumbling awkwardness is straight-up painful at times. This characterization doesn’t match Kelce’s energy at all, which is fine, but it doesn’t mesh well with Bowyn’s vibe, either. As a result, the acting feels stiff and overdone to compensate for the underdeveloped relationship.
Baby, I’m the one to beat
If I had to choose between “Holiday Touchdown” and “Christmas in the Spotlight” for a rewatch, I would pick the former. Maybe my expectations going into “Christmas in the Spotlight” were so high school, but it fell flat for me musically, narratively and character-wise. However, I did love all of the Taylor Swift Easter eggs and the general concept, so Swifties who are able to look past some of the awkwardness and lack of chemistry will probably love it.
As for “Holiday Touchdown,” it’s the perfect combination of fun and touching and has the heart that its rival is missing. Ultimately, the success of a Christmas romance movie lies with which couple you care more about, and Derrick and Alana win that Super Bowl.
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