Upon learning that Hallmark would release a Christmas movie titled Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story, my biggest concern was that it’d be some weird Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce fan fiction. Thankfully, that’s not the case, and instead, it’s a movie about upholding traditions and the importance of shared hope within a community.
Led by Tyler Hynes and Hunter King, with delightful performances by Ed Begley Jr., Christine Ebersole, Megyn Price, Diedrich Bader, and Richard Riehle, the movie shines as a love letter to family, romance, and the obvious—football. While I also thought the hat debacle was a bit far-fetched in the beginning, it’s easy to see how the film spins it into a reminder that the magic isn’t in the hat but in the belief that we’re part of something bigger than ourselves. And that’s ultimately what so many of us are searching for, isn’t it? A reason to believe that our existence holds weight and meaning and magic, even if that’s uncovered in ordinary things.
Additionally, the romance hilariously sparkles with meddling parents that make every bit of the interactions twice as fun. Derek is new to town, and Alana is single because she’s rightfully waiting for someone special. While her parents try to set her up with any man with a heartbeat, Derek’s ease of accepting the meddling makes their encounters feel oddly natural.
He isn’t all bothered by what her parents are doing and instead fully embraces it, longing for big, loud families as someone who’s grown up with a smaller one. With these differences and the anticipated reveal that he’s paired to interview her family for the Chiefs’ biggest fan contest, their relationship starts with a surprising amount of transparency. Alana doesn’t hold anything back, which is the exact kind of person a recluse like Derek ends up needing.
Further, the meta moments of commenting on big romantic gestures make their budding relationship surprisingly wholesome and, somehow, even more realistic. By the midpoint, I was kicking my feet and grinning the whole time. With this, it’s gripping how Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story centers the football team around a family that got together through their shared love for the game. (Hey Siri, play Ed Sheeran’s “A Beautiful Game.)
It makes it even easier to see why Alana is so steadfast in her belief of the hat’s magical winning streak because she sees the win in her family’s love story. Only it’s up to Derek to show her how that win isn’t just with the football team but that the idea relies on her to look beyond those beliefs.
Football isn’t for everybody (maybe if I weren’t an anxious person, it would be), but how this movie rallies to deliver a love letter to the Chiefs and Kansas City is a gorgeous thing. The world is a dark and scary place, and we have more forces today that terrorize us than ever before. It’s lovely to be reminded that there are ways people can still come together to celebrate what’s been around for decades. The family’s history makes it wholesome, but opening their door to Derek adds the extra sparkle because it’s a reminder that this community isn’t exclusive or something to gatekeep.
Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story is warm, wholesome, and deeply romantic. The choice to center on familial love and romance makes it especially delightful, allowing some of the best scenes to be the ones where characters are reminded of how loved and welcomed they are. It’s surprisingly funny, ridiculous at times, and yet thoroughly enjoyable from beginning to end, with a thoughtful premise that wraps itself with a memorable bow.
Watch Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story on the Hallmark Channel this Christmas.
First Featured Image Credit: ©Hallmark // ©2024 Hallmark Media/Photographer: Joshua Haines
Like most hallmark movies, there was a happy ending. The inclusion of Donna Kelce, Andy Reid and the Chiefs stadium were nice touches. It was a nice family movie