PETE’S CHRISTMAS: Zachary Gordon Gets a Do-Over

Pete is not having a good Christmas.

His older brother Jake thinks he’s a dork. His grumpy grandfather showed up unexpectedly. His younger brother Kenny wets the bed when they’re forced to bunk together. His very busy parents forgot to buy his present. His introduction to his cute new neighbor involves boxer shorts and screaming. He gets blamed for destroying the Christmas tree. He’s the target of the neighborhood jocks during the annual football game. And then the whole family gets food-poisoning.

Definitely a day that deserves a do-over.

When Gramps passes along a family heirloom at the end of this no-good horrible very bad day, Pete is less than enthused. Imagine his surprise when he wakes up the next morning to discover that it’s Christmas Day again. And again. And again.

Obviously Pete has a lesson to learn, but it takes him a while to figure that out. It’s not until he meets his new neighbor (again) that he begins to realize he can change the outcome for himself and his whole family. Some self-serving choices come first, but eventually Pete figures out why he’s reliving Christmas Day.

The inspiration for Pete’s Christmas is the Bill Murray classic Groundhog Day, of course, and the concept works well here as Pete gives his family a Christmas makeover. Seeing this family, and this holiday, through the eyes of a teenage boy is a unique twist on the usual holiday fare. The core elements of a Hallmark movie are still present – family togetherness, putting others’ needs before your own, realizing that Christmas isn’t about things – but whenever Pete’s Christmas begins to veer toward schmaltz or preciousness, Pete (or one of his brothers) yanks it back to reality. Still, there are a few moments that will warm your heart and make you claim there’s something in your eye.

Zachary Gordon (Diary of a Wimpy Kid) is fantastic as Pete, handling a fairly nuanced role with ease. The always wonderful Bailee Madison co-stars as neighbor Katie whose own Christmas could use some cheer, and Bruce Dern is Gramps, whose grouchiness thinly veils sorrow and hurt. Molly Parker, Rick Roberts, Wesley Morgan, and Peter DaCunha round out the main cast.

Pete’s Christmas premieres Friday, November 8 at 8/7c on The Hallmark Channel.