My Dad’s Christmas Date Parent Guide

It’s a bleak midwinter in the northern city of York. David (Jeremy Piven) and his daughter, Julia (nicknamed Jules and played by Olivia Mai Barett) are mourning the loss of wife and mother Claire, who died two years ago. David soothes his grief by imagining his wife’s presence, and Jules is acting out by picking fights with her dad and floundering at school. Deciding that her father would be happier with a girlfriend, Jules creates profiles for him on dating apps…without telling him.

In most cases, romantic comedies are predictable, with predetermined beats and conclusions. My Dad’s Christmas Date is not innovative cinema, but it successfully breaks out of the mold that normally constrains other films of the genre. The best part of this movie is not knowing what’s coming next. Yes, there are times when you are going to guess what’s coming, but I was pleasantly surprised at the number of times I was wrong during the film. Compared to other films of the type, this one feels a bit messy, in that all the loose ends aren’t tied down – but, frankly, that’s one of the things I like about the story. Life is messy, after all.

The movie’s originality somewhat compensates for its weaknesses in pacing and acting. Jeremy Piven is clearly giving his all to the role of the grieving widower – but sometimes he gives too much. His efforts to emote for the camera are a bit squirmy and I blame director Nick Davis for not dialing him back. As for Olivia Mai Barett, her performance as Jules is suitably angsty – and I am pleased that the makeup department didn’t feel obliged to cover up every single zit the teenage actress developed over the course of filming. Combined with an excess of blue eyeliner and an age-appropriate wardrobe, she looks and acts the part convincingly.

Hiccups aside, there’s plenty here to entertain genre fans. Not only does some of the humor actually land, but the movie comes with great messages about the importance of family, the need to communicate openly and kindly, and the importance of letting people grieve in their own way. Aside from twenty or so swear words and scenes of social drinking, the movie is comparatively clean, with an absence of unclad sexual content.

I’ll be honest: This movie isn’t going to change your life and you likely won’t remember it in a few months. But if you’re looking for a good-hearted story that will leave you feeling pleasantly sniffly, My Dad’s Christmas Date might just fit the bill. Get your carb of choice and fluffy blanket and settle down to laugh and cry as this father and daughter just try to make it through life’s rough patches together.