An early line of dialogue says it all as protagonist Eve references 'It's a wonderful life' - borrowing slightly from the Frank Capra classic as we get two portraits of what the go-getter's future may hold. It's a decent concept. But without considering the content otherwise, I think the very structure of the feature is a bit of a problem. A few minutes at a time, we see how Eve's life will play out if she makes a flight, or not. The shifts in mood from one scene to the next make for a little whiplash - to say nothing of the dubious transitions crafted with post-production CGI. 'All about Christmas Eve' is reasonably enjoyable for the most part, but it also surely would have benefited from a more delicate, mindful touch.
The flourishes of inelegance also apply to other aspects of the film. Some passing dialogue is pointedly dated (including references to ShamWow, Kardashian sex tapes, and more), and some other lines rather elicit a double-take. Fine as the concept may be overall, the leaps between ostensibly concurrent timelines is a bit of a shock not just for the changes in tone, but for the extremity of the different portraits: one perfectly vibrant and happy, and the other ever more dour and depressing with mounting troubles. Though it may be technically true, it doesn't meaningfully feel like the picture is very well balanced with each half going to such stretches.
Questionable though the plot structure is - in fairness, each part in and of itself is mostly done fairly well, with generally able writing, direction, and performances. Sure, it's less than perfect with occasionally untactful or ill-minded bits. Not least of all given the noted dichotomy of storytelling, it tends to seem a smidgen ham-handed at points - and toward the end, distinctly heavy-handed. Yet there's also some definite scattered cleverness, and where star Haylie Duff is concerned in particular, I'll say that the constant flips from coast to coast enable her to demonstrate range, nuance, and personality as an actress, even within the confines of this TV movie. Speaking as someone who couldn't name anything else Duff has done before or since - hey, she's not bad! Why, broadly speaking, I think the supporting cast also do a fine job realizing their characters.
I keep adding qualifiers as I speak to the worth of 'All about Christmas Eve,' however, and not without reason. The 10-15 minutes before the final scene are emphatically disordered and frankly dubious as the narrative becomes jumbled and confused. For all the curiosities and indeed peculiarities of what the movie represented throughout its length, at the most critical juncture it feels like 'All about Christmas Eve' isn't sure what it actually wants to be, the precise story it has to tell, or the themes it intends to convey. Once again I can only do a double-take - the very, very end is written clearly enough, but what we get is effectively two parallel roads that end in a single avenue, but only after taking 10-15 minutes to become knotted, untidy, and chaotic. So poorly considered is this vital moment that my regard for the whole absolutely drops.
More so than not, even for the issues it carries for most of its runtime, I think this is a pretty good TV movie. The performances are swell, direction and technical craft are solid, and if spotty, the writing is sufficiently adept. So why are we given such an unwelcome, unnecessary hurdle so close to the finish line?
Make no mistake, there are worse kindred features out there that one could watch. Ultimately, though, it turns out that there are also most assuredly better ones. It's a shame, really - I want to like this more than I do. I did, for about 70 some minutes, like this more than I do. It's an okay view if one comes across it. When all is said and done, though, this falters - and unless you're an especial fan of someone in the cast, this simply isn't essential.
