The Knight Before Christmas
| The Knight Before Christmas | |
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| Directed by |
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| Written by |
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| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Greg Gardiner |
| Edited by | Lara Mazur |
| Music by | Roger Bellon |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Netflix |
Release date |
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Running time | 92 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The Knight Before Christmas is a 2019 Christmas comedy film directed by Monika Mitchell and written by Cara J. Russell.[1] It was released on November 21, 2019.[2]
Filming took place in Orillia and Bracebridge in Ontario, Canada between April and May 2019, with Norwich castle scenes featuring Charleville Castle in Tullamore, Ireland.[3]
Plot
In Norwich, England, on December 18, 1334, Cole Christopher Fredrick Lyons (Josh Whitehouse) and his brother Geoffrey (Harry Jarvis) participate in an annual Christmas hawking competition and split up to try and catch the hawk. Cole goes to the woods, while Geoffrey combs the castle for the hawk. On Cole's way to find the hawk, he encounters an unnamed old crone (Ella Kenion), whom he offers to escort to a shelter. She thanks him for his kindness, and tells him that she will magically send him to faraway lands on a quest and see things like 'flying steel dragons and horses' (Airplanes and cars) and 'magic boxes that make merry' (Televisions). After her explanation, she gives him a glowing blue medallion and tells him that if he doesn't fulfill his quest before midnight on Christmas Eve, he will never become a true knight and remain in the present forever – but does not explain the nature of the quest itself.
In the year 2019 on the same day in Bracebridge, a small city in Ohio, a high school science teacher, Brooke Winters (Vanessa Hudgens), who is disillusioned by love, agrees to take her sister Madison's daughter Claire to the Christmas Castle's opening, which is the same place Cole arrives in. Cole, confused by the new and unfamiliar surroundings, gets hit by Brooke's car by accident, and is taken to the hospital, where Officer Stevens (Arnold Pinnock) gets a report from him that he has amnesia and he believes that he's actually a knight, as he is not in the US system and has no ID. Brooke offers to let him stay at her guest home until he 'gets his memory back'. On Cole's journey, he discovers modern day equivalences like radios, diners, manners, and Alexa.
Despite his manner of speech and strange habits, Cole endears himself to Brooke's friends and family. They are skeptical of his origins as a 14th-century knight, but humor him, as does Brooke herself, who even agrees that it's possible he is who he claims to be. She opens up to him about her late parents and an ex-boyfriend who had cheated on her years ago, and he slowly shares his own past with her as they grow more familiar.
In his search for the quest given to him by the old crone, Cole ends up rescuing two scared children from a frozen lake and catches an escaping pickpocket, but does not feel fulfilled. On December 24, Cole helps Brooke host a successful Christmas feast. Later, he asks her to clarify the Mistletoe tradition, and they kiss – this causes Cole's medallion to light up, meaning he has finally fulfilled his quest. Brooke walks him back to the Christmas Castle, where he had originally arrived, and bid each-other a heavy farewell. She returns home, heartbroken, and he is sent back to the 14th century.
On return, Cole has arrived just in time for his brother's knighting ceremony; Geoffrey welcomes him back warmly, but realizes he's in love and gives him his blessing to return to his true love. He sets off back in the woods to look for the old crone – he calls out to her, saying he finally understands his quest. Satisfied, she deems him worthy, sending him back to the present.
Back in Bracebridge, on Christmas Day, Brooke is comforted by her sister, niece, and brother-in-law. They invite her to join them at the Christmas Castle, where Cole soon meets them, having been transported with his horse, Sherwyn. He declares his love to Brooke and his willingness to stay, which she happily accepts. The two mount Sherwyn and ride around the castle, admired by onlookers.
In a credits scene, Geoffrey meets the old crone, who greets him and asks for assistance the same way she did with Cole. She carries another medallion which glows as the scene comes to end – indicating that Geoffrey will go through the same quest as his brother.
Cast
- Vanessa Hudgens as Brooke Winters
- Josh Whitehouse as Sir Cole
- Emmanuelle Chriqui as Madison
- Harry Jarvis as Sir Geoffrey
- Ella Kenion as Old Crone
- Arnold Pinnock as Officer Stevens
- Jean-Michel Le Gal as David
- Mimi Gianopulos as Alyson
- Jacob Soley as Patrick
- Andrea Senior as Caroler
- Simon Webster as Reed
- Jonah Wineberg as Older Brother
- Olivia Gudaniec as Kaelynn
- Isabelle Franca as Claire
- Jesse Gervasi as Taylor
- Shanice Johnson as Paige
- Telysa Chandler as Group Singer
- Scott Ryan Yamamura as Evan
Release
The Knight Before Christmas was released on November 21, 2019.[2]
Reception
On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 70% based on 20 reviews, and an average rating of 6.06/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "While its plot borders on the absurd, The Knight Before Christmas is endearing and charming enough to make it a worthy addition to the holiday rom-com genre."[4]
References
- ^ "Vanessa Hudgens To Star & Executive Produce 'The Knight Before Christmas' For Netflix". Deadline Hollywood. March 20, 2019. Archived from the original on March 21, 2019. Retrieved March 20, 2019./
- ^ a b "It's Beginning to Look a lot like Netflix | Holidays 2019 | Netflix". YouTube. October 15, 2019.
- ^ "'The Knight Before Christmas': Netflix Release Date, Plot, Cast & Trailer". What's on Netflix. November 7, 2019.
- ^ "The Knight Before Christmas (2019)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved November 22, 2019.
